Liberalism under Siege: The Political Thought of the French Doctrinaires [Paperback]

Using extensive quotations from [the Doctrinaires'] writings and speeches, most of which are unavailable in English, and organizing them in a topic-by-topic analysis, Craiutu easily shows that we have been kept from a veritable treasure trove of profound political thought. . . . although Liberalism under Siege is essential for scholars of Tocqueville or French political history, it also should interest all concerned with the proper theoretical basis of liberalism.Professor Craiutu rescues from oblivion a worthy school of European liberalism, and opens therewith new perspectives on our discontents. His book will accomplish an act of justice which, under the current circumstances of the world, is even more courageous and pertinent.The French nineteenth century is a vast, unexplored territory in the history of modern political thought. Apart from Tocqueville and, more recently, Constant, the authors of the period are little read, even though their central concerns  the nature of modern liberty, the challenge of moderating democracy, the paradoxes of secularization  are as important today as when they wrote. Professor Craiutu has performed a great service in publishing such a lucid account of the thinking of the French 'Doctrinaires,' one of the period's most important schools of thought. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned with modern intellectual history and political theory .Aurelian Craiutu's Liberalism Under Siege lets his readers hear the voices of the French Doctrinairesand especially, of Fran?ois Guizottoo long muted in the tradition of liberalism. Craiutu's work is a triumph of scholarship, faithful to text and context, weaving Craiutu's mastery of detail into a grander narrative. And in letting his subjects speak for themselves, Craiutu also lets them speak to our time.With wonderful clarity, sure-footedness, and even exuberance, Aurelian Craiutu guides us through the thinking of the Doctrinaires and reveals their surprising relevance to somel£P