Les Misérables Volume II Book 7 Chapter 3 - On What Conditions One Can Respect the Past

In which the enduring vestiges of monasticism are scrutinised with a critical eye, revealing their hampering influence upon civilisation despite their persistent hold in the modern age. Herein lies a meditative reflection on the necessity of discerning respect from obsolescence, and the imperative to confront the past when it clings stubbornly to life.