Republic and rhetoric
Rooting the citizen? The socio-history of republican ambivalence
Is republican citizenship incompatible with the movement of people, both within and beyond national borders? The story of the Republic's founders at the end of the 19th century might suggest so: from the figure of the soldier-peasant in the post-Napoleonic period, to the establishment of the Republic in France, their version of citizenship seems indissociable from a form of territorial anchorage. However, this is to overlook an entire republican tradition, which, on the contrary, makes uprooting the condition for authentic civic and political participation. We'll take a closer look at how this tradition is articulated, before examining its demise and possible revival in public debate.
