Mme de Stael and Political Liberalism in France

This book sheds light on the unique aspects of 'communal liberalism' in Mme de Stael's writings and considers her contribution to nineteenth-century French liberal political thought. Focusing notably on the 'Considerations sur les principaux evenements de la Revolution francaise', it examines the originality of Stael's liberal philosophy. Rather than contrasting liberalism with either multiculturalism or republicanism, the book argues that Stael's communal liberalism challenges the conventions of nineteenth-century political thought, notably through her assertion of the need to institutionalize an organic intermediary connecting the two spheres, an idea later advanced by thinkers such as Jurgen Habermas. Offering a critical reappraisal of Stael's multifaceted work, this book assesses the political impact of her work, arguing that the political influence of the 'Considerations' permeates the liberal historiography of the French Revolution up to the present day.