Rosanvallon Pierre. Counter-Democracy: Politics in an Age of Distrust

Translated by Arthur Goldhammer. — Cambridge University Press, 2008. — 350 p.Democracy is established as a generally uncontested ideal, while regimes inspired by this form of government fall under constant criticism – hence the steady erosion of confidence in representatives that has become one of the major political issues of our time. Amidst these challenges, the paradox remains that, while citizens are less likely to make the trip to the ballot box, the world is far from entering a phase of general political apathy. Demonstrations and activism abound in the streets, in cities across the globe, and on the internet. Pierre Rosanvallon analyzes the mechanisms used to register a citizen’s expression of confidence or distrust, and then focuses on the role that distrust plays in democracy from both a historical and theoretical perspective. This radical shift in perspective uncovers a series of practices – surveillance, prevention, and judgment – through which society corrects and exerts pressure. The Seeley Lectures are established as a unique forum to promote the finest political thought of our time, and Counter-Democracy is a powerful and provocative addition to this distinguished series.
Pierre Rosanvallon is Professor and Chair of Modern and Contemporary Political History at the Collège de France. He is also professor at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales as well as the President of the international intellectual workshop “La République des idées.”
Arthur Goldhammer, a translator specializing in French history, literature, philosophy, and social science, has translated more than a hundred works by many of France’s most noted authors. He is on the editorial board of the journal French Politics, Culture and Society, and in 1996 was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture.