Joan of Arc was born in the early 1400s when her country of France was at war with England. She came from a modest background, but her radical nature is seen through her belief that it was her divine calling from God to lead the French army to victory against England. This made her advocate for political reform directly by joining the army despite having no military background. Joan of Arc eventually led the French King’s army to victory against the British (Jacobs, 2021). She was eventually captured, tried as a witch, and burned to death in 1431, aged 19.
In their current society, Joan of Arc’s ideas would be considered radical because of her claims that it was God who had chosen her to lead the army to victory. It was also an uncommon social aspect to see a woman take charge of an army in France during the 1400s. She received support from Charles of Valois, who would later be King of France but had received challenges through her father, who had initially wanted her to get married.
Radicalism is still alive in today’s society and this is apparent in various social and political contexts. The need for social, political, and economic change has often been seen through various acts of radicalism. An example is radical extremists who propagate acts of terrorism to achieve their desired changes. Political groups also advocate for white supremacy and conservationism in today’s society. However, these groups may use means that are considered radical to achieve their objectives, which shows that radicalism is still present today. Joan of Arc would therefore be considered a radical in today’s society.
Reference
Jacobs, G. (2021). The Role of Joan Of Arc On The Stage Of Occupied Paris 1. In Vichy France and the Resistance (pp. 106-122). Routledge.