French liberalism from Montesquieu to the present day / edited by Raf Geenens, Helena Rosenblatt.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Geenens, Raf, 1979-

Rosenblatt, Helena, 1961-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Liberalism--France--History.

Liberalism.

France.

History.

Physical Description:

xi, 318 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Summary:

There is an enduring assumption that the French have never been and will never be liberal. As with all clichés, this one contains a grain of truth, but it also overlooks an important school of thought that has been a constant presence in French intellectual and political culture for nearly three centuries: French political liberalism. In this collaborative volume, a distinguished group of philosophers, political theorists and intellectual historians uncover this unjustly neglected tradition. The chapters examine the nature and distinctiveness of French liberalism, providing a comprehensive treatment of major themes including French liberalism's relationship with republicanism, Protestantism, utilitarianism and the human rights tradition. Individual chapters are devoted to Montesquieu, Tocqueville, Aron, Lefort and Gauchet, as well as to some lesser-known, yet important, thinkers, including several political economists and French-style 'neoliberals'. French Liberalism is essential reading for all those interested in the history of political thought. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 French liberalism, an overlooked tradition? / Raf Geenens Geenens, Raf, Helena Rosenblatt Rosenblatt, Helena 1

Part I In Search of a Lost Liberalism

2 Two liberal traditions / Larry Siedentop Siedentop, Larry 15

3 The unity, diversity and paradoxes of French liberalism / Lucien Jaume Jaume, Lucien 36

Part II The French Liberal Conception of Liberty: Loyal to its Republican Roots?

4 Was Montesquieu liberal? The Spirit of the Laws in the history of liberalism / Céline Spector Spector, Céline 57

5 The importance of republican liberty in French liberalism / Andrew Jainchill Jainchill, Andrew 73

6 Rethinking liberalism and terror / Stephen Holmes Holmes, Stephen 90

Part III The Formative Era: Liberal Dealings with Key Issues in Nineteenth-Century France

7 On the need for a Protestant Reformation: Constant, Sismondi, Guizot and Laboulaye / Helena Rosenblatt Rosenblatt, Helena 115

8 'Anti-Benthamism': utilitarianism and the French liberal tradition / Cheryl B. Welch Welch, Cheryl B. 134

9 Tocqueville: liberalism and imperialism / Alan S. Kahan Kahan, Alan S. 152

Part IV Economic Liberalism À La Française

10 War, trade and empire: the dilemmas of French liberal political economy, 1780-1816 / Richard Whatmore Whatmore, Richard 169

11 Competition and knowledge: French political economy as a science of government / Philippe Steiner Steiner, Philippe 192

12 Is there a French neoliberalism? / Serge Audier Audier, Serge 208

Part V At the Dawn of Mass Democracy: Reassessing the Role of Collective Institutions

13 The 'sociological turn' in French liberal thought / William Logne Logne, William 233

14 The 'illiberalism' of French liberalism: the individual and the state in the thought of Blanc, Dupont-White and Durkheim / Jean-Fabien Spitz Spitz, Jean-Fabien 252

Part VI The Twentieth Century and Beyond

15 Raymond Aron and the tradition of political moderation in France / Aurelian Craiutic Craiutic, Aurelian 271

16 The politics of individual rights: Marcel Gauchet and Claude Lefort / Samuel Moyn Moyn, Samuel 291.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781107017436

1107017432

OCLC:

754716191