The Demands of Liberty
Civil Society in France Since the Revolution

How does France reconcile the modern movement toward pluralism and decentralization with a strong central governing power? This work offers a radical interpretation of the development of democracy in France and the relationship between government and its citizens.

Behind the ideological triumph of the state lies the conflicting creation of an active civil society. In exploring these tensions, Rosanvallon takes the debate far beyond traditional views of liberalism versus republicanism and offers an innovative analysis of why the French system has worked despite Jacobinism.