French Literature Reviews - 2026
É. Balibar, Libre parole
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Étienne Balibar
Libre parole
Galilée, October 2018.
Number of pages: 144
Price: 20 €
Publication date: 2018
ISBN: 9782718609782
Libre parole brings together three essays written in different styles and for different occasions: the Hrant Dink Lecture on democracy and freedom of expression in times of violence, delivered in Istanbul in January 2018; the theses developed in 2015 on "Freedom of expression and blasphemy," intended as a contribution to the debate reignited by the murders of Charlie Hebdo journalists—associated with the publication of the "Mohammed cartoons"—by members of ISIS; and finally, a seminar delivered in 2013 and written up the following year on the forms of parrhesia according to Michel Foucault, which elaborates, starting from the Greek example, his conception of the courage of truth.
Their shared objective is to problematize the conditions and function of freedom of expression as a "right to rights," more fundamental than ever in an era of democratic regression facilitated by the disintegrating effects of capitalist globalization, and overdetermined by the dynamics of terror and counter-terror generated by an endemic state of war from which no region of the world is now entirely exempt. Another aim is to show that while institutionally guaranteed freedom of expression, and free speech as its subjective counterpart, constitute an inalienable "property" of individuals and groups whose autonomy is (theoretically) recognized in a democracy, one must rise to the conception of communication as a public good in order to generalize its exercise, prevent its discriminatory uses, and thereby endow it with its full political normativity.
The essays collected in Libre parole engage with the intellectual tradition of political philosophy, specifically regarding the tension between individual rights and collective democratic norms. By revisiting the concept of parrhesia—the ancient Greek practice of truth-telling—the text situates debates on speech within a history of civic courage and ethical responsibility. The work discusses how the institutional framework of free speech interacts with the subjective autonomy of citizens, particularly when these rights are challenged by economic pressures and a climate of geopolitical conflict.
The volume presents the shift from viewing expression as an individual property to conceptualizing it as a shared public good. This perspective relates to broader discussions in political theory concerning the protection of democratic spaces against erosion caused by systemic violence and instability. By examining how freedom of expression functions as a right to rights, the text addresses the necessity of preventing its discriminatory use in public spheres. Readers interested in the intersection of democratic theory and contemporary civil liberties may find this collection relevant to their inquiries.