Is Bertrand de Jouvenel only a Liberal Philosopher? The Relations between His Political Thought with the Twentieth Century Sociological Thought

Abstract

My paper is dedicated to Bertrand de Jouvenel's political thought. My present work frames his thoughts into new theoretical paradigms.If we look at the critical literature on Jouvenel, we realize that this thinker is commonly regarded by his interpreters as a Liberal philosopher.This is the case for instance of Olivier Dard who, in his work Bertrand de Jouvenel (2008), emphasizes the similarities between Jouvenel's thought and that of Friedrich von Hayek. Jouvenel, in fact, was a member of the Mont Pelerin Society, an international organization advocating for pro-market policies.This view has certainly some truth, since in his major works,Du Pouvoir (1945)and De la Souverainete (1955)he displays his conception of history saying that it is part of the anti-statist tradition. My essay aims at integrating this approach, illustrating the connections between Jouvenel and some sociological thoughts.