French Literature Reviews - 2026
É. Goin, Fr. Provenzano (eds.), Usages du peuple. Savoirs, discours, politiques
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Review published in Acta Fabula (February 2018, volume 19, n°2): Julien Jeusette, "Retours au peuple".
Usages du peuple. Savoirs, discours, politiques
edited by Émilie GOIN & François PROVENZANO
Presses Universitaires de Liège, Collection Situations, n°9 (2017)
EAN13: 9782875621245
Price: 19€ VAT excl.
Order via the university press bookstore: http://www.lcdpu.fr/livre/?GCOI=27000100587480
Contact: lcdpu@msh-paris.fr
What does the word people actually refer to? It is an age-old question that the social sciences appear to have sidelined today. Yet, invoking the people remains a frequent ideological gesture, examined here from three perspectives:
– A historical perspective: the debate surrounding the notion of the people is recontextualized within a genealogy stretching from the French Revolutionary period to contemporary issues regarding "citizenship".
– A comparative perspective: the volume explores the uses of the people across various geographical and cultural areas.
– A multidisciplinary perspective: contributions span literature and political science, history and philosophy, alongside an examination of scholarly engagement with the people, itself questioned as an activist practice concerning the common folk.
Combining academic rigor with a free-spirited tone, this book aims to contribute to a unified approach to the humanities, centered on a core issue within our contemporary social imagination.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Peoples in Voice, in Text, on Stage
II. Contrasts of Populism
III. Must the People Be Educated?
IV. The People under Investigation
The concept of the people has long occupied a central place in political discourse, often serving as a foundational category for defining national identity and democratic legitimacy. Within the humanities, the term frequently bridges the gap between sociological observation and ideological construction. By tracing the genealogy of this notion from the French Revolution to modern debates on citizenship, the volume situates these intellectual inquiries within a broader history of political thought. Readers interested in the intersection of political science and social history may find this investigation of the term relevant.
The collection examines how the people is represented across diverse cultural contexts, incorporating literary analysis, historical inquiry, and philosophical reflection. The volume includes an examination of scholarly engagement with the people, questioned as an activist practice concerning the common folk. The contributions explore how the people is voiced, staged, and contested, while also questioning the necessity of educating the masses. This multidisciplinary approach addresses core concepts that shape contemporary social imagination and political rhetoric.