Prosperity and Torment in France: The Paradox of the Democratic Age (Catholic Ideas for a Secular World)

A philosophical and historical analysis of the paradox of French democracy that illuminates the challenges of the current democratic age. In Prosperity and Torment in France, philosopher Chantal Delsol provides an analysis of the current state of affairs in French politics, economics, and cultural life that reveals key lessons for modern democracies around the world.She examines the seeming paradox of France as a wealthy country that provides almost unrivaled social services to its citizens at no extra cost, but one whose citizens are unsatisfied with the current state of affairs.Delsol traces this current dilemma back several hundred years, and examines the principle of the common good and its inherent tension with concepts like democracy and egalitarianism that often emphasize individualism.Likewise, Delsol emphasizes this concept also stands in contrast to the centralization of power in Paris throughout its history.In the end, Delsol notes that these historical tensions set the stag