Luc Foisneau

I am a French philosopher specialising in contemporary political thought and that of the Early Modern period, with a particular interest in questions related to sovereignty and justice. I teach at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris (EHESS).

My latest published book in French, Manières de gouverner (CNRS Editions, Sept. 2025), traces the history of two opposing conceptions of government: one based on the general interest and the other on the interests of a few. I show how the modern history of government, from Machiavelli to Rousseau, can best be described as a domestication of the raison d’état. An afterword explains how the current situation in the USA reflects the failure of this modern project.