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Political rationalism and democracy in France in the 18th and 19th centuries

Collège de France, Paris, France

In France there is a way of thinking about freedom that often impedes its realization. To understand this question first a fundamental contradiction of the tension between political rationalism and popular sovereignty is examined. The terms of this contradiction are presented along with the ways in which this tension manifested itself in France during the Revolution of the 19th Century. This is also shown by contrasting the French approach to producing the law-state with English liberalism which relies on a balance of powers. The French case shows that there is a way, other than representative government, to think about protective rule: the establishment of a good, rational authority based on science.

Key Words: democracy • France • law-state • liberalism • politics • political rationalism • popular sovereignty

Philosophy & Social Criticism, Vol. 28, No. 6, 687-701 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/019145370202800605


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