Avtor, francoski zgodovinar, se sam označuje za praktika intelektualne zgodovine, kar lahko vzamemo za oznako zgodovine politične in družbene misli.
Ukvarja se z vprašanjem o historičnem oblikovanju liberalistične ideologije skozi preučevanje tržnih logik in zakonitosti in s spreminjanjem koncepta civilne družbe od 16. stoletja sem oziroma od Hobbesa in Rousseauja, Huma in zlasti Smitha prek Paina in Godwina do Hegla in Marxa.
Namen intelektualne zgodovine je, da poskuša razumeti oblikovanje in evolucijo političnih in družbenih racionalnosti, tj. sistemov reprezentacij, ki odločajo o načinu, kako kakšno obdobje, dežela ali družbene skupine izvršujejo svojo dejavnost in si predstavljajo prihodnost.
Pierre Rosanvallon (b. 1948, Blois) is a French intellectual and historian, named professor at the Collège de France in 2001. He holds there the chair in the modern and contemporary history of the political. His works are dedicated to the history of democracy, French political history, the role of the state and the question of social justice in contemporary societies. He is also director of studies at the EHESS, where he leads the Raymond Aron Centre of Political Researches. Rosanvallon was in the 1970s one of the primary theoreticians of workers' self-management in the CFDT trade union.
He is diplomed from the HEC management school. In 1982, he created the Fondation Saint-Simon think-tank, along with François Furet. The Fondation dissolved in December 1999. Since 2002, Rosanvallon is member of the Scientific Counsel of the French National Library, and has the same functions, since 2004, at the École Normale Supérieure of Paris.
Rosanvallon created in 2002 La République des Idées, an "intellectual workshop" which he presides. The group publishes a review and books.
De Hobbes jusqu'à Marx, l'auteur retrace l'évolution des concepts sociologiques et politiques du marché en mettant en exergue les principales idées de chaque penseur tout en greffant une analyse de ces dernières Ce livre ne se lit pas vite. Il faut un sacré effort de concentration pour bien comprendre les différents courants philosophiques qui traitent la question du marché et du contrat social. C'est bien documenté et contient de nombreux renseignements précieux
The poor guy is as much equipped to understand Economic Thought as my plumber is ready to giver you advice on antibiotics. Which is no impediment for him to live a good life off tax money.