Despite its prominence in public discourse, the notion of elitesremains a highly contested and ambiguous part of modern politicaldiscourse. This monograph rehabilitates the idea of elites and givesit a solid theoretical footing, while relating it with the historicaldevelopment of liberal thought in the west. The analysis offered inthe book concentrates on the tradition of liberal political thought inFrance, which has consistently tackled the question of the elites,their role in society, and the process of their formation. Combiningtheoretical insights with practical wisdom, French liberal thinkershave seen the elite as an indispensable social category and as avehicle for the development of human liberty. In their differentprescriptive doctrines, French liberal thinkers have sought toreconcile the emergence of social elites with the requirements ofsocial and political equality, as well as with the ongoingmodernization of mores and institutions. The monograph offers aunique contribution to scholarship in modern political thought byengaging analytically with the notion of elites, as well as byoffering a structured discussion on the historical development ofliberalism in France.weiterlesen