Books & ideas

A Return to Liberal Democracy

Laurent Warlouzet — 2026-01-22T07:00:00Z

Popular sovereignty and the rule of law are inseparable: the idea that there could be “illiberal democracies” is groundless and plays into the hands of populists.

The left's Enlightenment origins

Marie Deschamps — 2024-06-20T13:41:00Z

For over a century, the left has owed its political identity and major political victories to a critical adherance to the Enlightenment. This is why, Stéphanie Roza argues, abandoning this legacy is dangerous.

Beyond Backlash

Priscila Delgado de Carvalho — 2020-05-21T07:00:00Z

Gender not only reached an unprecedented level of exposure in public debates but has become a structuring element of contemporary conservative discourses. This text discusses how gender can be incorporated into assessments of the current crisis of democracies

LGBT: Chinese and Online

Tao Hong & Lucas Monteil — 2018-10-11T07:00:00Z

After surfacing in the 1990s, the LGBT movement has continued to take hold in China, despite the new Chinese leadership's increasing hostility towards independent non-governmental organisations. This relative success is partly due to an innovative use of the Internet by the movement's actors.

Little Englanders vs Human Rights?

Anne Cousson — 2018-06-11T07:00:00Z

Why has the Human Rights Act of 1998 become such a politically charged issue in the United Kingdom? In a militant book, Conor Gearty debunks the myths surrounding the British human rights regime and calls for more comprehensive legislation.

A Human Rights Policy

Christian Nadeau — 2017-09-14T07:00:00Z

Since their declaration in 1789 human rights have been the subject of numerous critiques. Even nowadays, they are accused of being detrimental to democracy and of favouring individualism. But these accusations, J. Lacroix and J.-Y. Pranchère explain, are not founded.

An Obsolete Separation of Powers?

Juliette Roussin — 2017-07-13T07:00:00Z

Is the Supreme Court democratic? No, replies Jeremy Waldron, who considers that the judicial branch should not substitute itself for citizens to determine their rights. But is his view of the separation of powers still valid today?

The Right to Live in the City

Marie Loison-Leruste — 2016-11-28T08:00:00Z

Sociologist Marie Loison-Leruste shows how address registration is for homeless persons the key to gaining access to rights. She suggests that, beyond reflecting on the question of non-take-up, the state must urgently back the professionals who support the homeless.

Judging Homosexuality, Granting Asylum

Carolina Kobelinsky — 2016-10-03T07:00:00Z

Asylum applications on the grounds of sexual orientation, although uncommon, raise questions that are relevant to any asylum claim: according to what criteria and what level of persecution are “genuine” refugees distinguished from “bogus” ones? And what is meant by this policy of proof?

A Tale of a Chinese Lawyer

Jean-Luc Domenach — 2015-01-01T09:00:00Z

Now a well-known Chinese lawyer of the democratic dissidence in China, Zhang Sizhi was once a young nationalist, a high-ranking official in the court of Beijing and a victim of anti-rightist repression. In his memoirs, he provides a detailed and fascinating description of the profession and China in the second half of the 20^th century.