Abstract

Probably the first striking feature of this book is to be found in its title. “Late modernity” is incomparably more adequate and philosophically more intelligent than “late capitalism/imperialism” which means nothing except a pointless bow in the direction of an intolerable form of totalitarianism. The second feature is the name of the author herself, one of the few true political philosophers at a time when “consultants” and pundits active in the so-called field of politology are a dime a dozen. Serious readers in the field are undoubtedly already quite aware of the massive and highly meritorious work of Chantal Delsol, which includes surveys of political doctrine in the twentieth century, a deep-going work on the much disputed concept of “subsidiarity” and others.