CAMBRIDGE TEXTS IN THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT CONDORCET Political Writings CAMBRIDGE TEXTS IN THE HISTORY OF POLITICAL THOUGHT Series editors Raymond Geuss Professor in Philosophy, University of Cambridge Quentin skinneR Barber Beaumont Professor of the Humanities, Department of History, Queen Mary, University of London Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought is now firmly established as the major student textbook series in political theory. It aims to make avail- able to students all the most important texts in the history of western pol- itical thought, from ancient Greece to the early twentieth century. All the familiar classic texts will be included, but the series seeks at the same time to enlarge the conventional canon by incorporating an extensive range of less well-known works, many of them never before available in a modern English edition. Wherever possible, texts are published in complete and unabridged form, and translations are specially commissioned for the series. Each vol- ume contains a critical introduction together with chronologies, biographical sketches, a guide to further reading and any necessary glossaries and text- ual apparatus. When completed the series will aim to offer an outline of the entire evolution of western political thought. For a list of titles published in the series, please see end of book CONDORCET Political Writings edited by STEVEN LUKES Professor of Sociology, New York University NADIA URBINATI Professor of Political Theory, Columbia University cambRidGe univeRsity pRess Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 8Ru, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107021013 © Cambridge University Press 2012 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2012 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library isbn 978-1-107-02101-3 Hardback isbn 978-1-107-60539-8 Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Contents Condorcet: published works page vi Principal events in Condorcet’s life viii Notes on the texts xiii Editors’ introduction xv Suggestions for further reading xliii 1 The Sketch 1 2 On slavery. Rules of the Society of the Friends of Negroes (1788) 148 3 On the emancipation of women. On giving women the right of citizenship (1790) 156 4 On despotism. Thoughts on despotism (1789) 163 5 On freedom. On the meaning of the words ‘freedom’, ‘free’, ‘a free man’, ‘a free people’ (1793–94) 181 6 On revolution. On the meaning of the word ‘revolutionary’ (1793) 190 7 Advice to his daughter (written in hiding March 1794) 196 Index 205 v Condorcet: published works Esquisse d’un tableau historique des progrès de l’esprit humain. Paris: chez Agasse, L’an III de la République, Une et Indivisible, 1795 Œuvres complètes de Condorcet, ed. Mme de Condorcet, A.-A. Barbier, P.-J.-G. Cabanis and D.-G. Garat. Brunswick and Paris, 1804 (21 volumes) Œuvres de Condorcet, ed. A. Condorcet O’Connor and F. Arago. Paris: Firmin Didot 1847–1849 (12 volumes): this is considered as the offi- cial edition (reprinted Stuttgart-Bad Cannstadt: Friedrich Frommann Verlag (Günther Holzboog), 1968) Sur les élections et autres textes, ed. O. de Bernon. Paris: Fayard, 1986 Arithmétique politique. Textes rares ou inédits (1767–1789), ed. B. Bru and P. Crépel. Paris: Institut national d’études démographiques, 1994 Tableau historique des progrès de l’esprit humain. Projets, Esquisse, Fragments et Notes (1772–1794), ed. under the direction of J-P. Schandeler and P. Crépel. Paris: Institut national d’études démographiques, 2004 Almanach anti-superstitieux et autres textes, ed. Anne-Marie Chouillet. Saint-Étienne: CNRS éditions, Publications de l’université de Saint- Étienne, 1992 Essai sur l’application de l’analyse à la probabilité des décisions rendues à la pluralité des voix. Paris: Imprimerie royale, 1785 (reprinted New York: Chelsea Publishing, 1972) Cinq mémoires sur l’instruction publique, ed. C. Coutel and C. Kintzler. Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 1994. Réflexions sur l’esclavage des nègres et autres textes abolitionnistes, ed. D. Williams. Paris: L’Harmattan, 2003 vi Condorcet: published works Correspondance inédite de Condorcet et de Turgot, 1770–1779; publiée avec des notes et une introduction d’après les autographes de la collection Minoret et les manuscrits de l’Institut, ed. C. Henry. Paris: Charavay frères, 1883 (reprinted Geneva: Slatkine, 1970) Correspondance inédite de Condorcet et Mme Suard 1771–1791, ed. E. Badinter. Paris: Fayard, 1988 ‘Correspondance de Condorcet et Voltaire’, in The Complete Works of Voltaire, ed. T. Besterman. Geneva: Institut et Musée Voltaire, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1968–1976, vols 85–129 vii Principal events in Condorcet’s life 1743 Born Jean-Antoine-Nicolas Caritat, marquis de Condorcet on 17 September in Ribemont, Picardie. 1754 Enrols in primary education at the Jesuit College in Reims. 1758–59 Studies at the Collège de Navarre in Paris, where he gains rec- ognition for his mathematical studies. His thesis, published in 1765 with the title, Essai sur le calcul intégral, would be read at the Académie royale des sciences in 1769. 1762 Moves to Paris to pursue his mathematical studies and be- comes very close to d’Alembert. 1765–68 Publishes three important works on mathematics: Sur le sys- tème du monde et calcul intégral (along with d’Alembert), Du problème des trois corps and Essais d’analyse. 1769 Enters the Académie royale des sciences and is introduced by d’Alembert into the salon of Madame de Lespinasse, where he becomes acquainted with Turgot. He is named a member of the academies of Berlin, Turin, Bologna, St Petersburg and Philadelphia. 1770 Visits Voltaire at Ferney with d’Alembert. They stay for two weeks. 1773 Publishes Éloges des académiciens de l’Académie royale des sci- ences, morts depuis l’an 1666 jusqu’en 1699. 1774 Publishes Lettres sur le commerce des grains. Nominated In- spector General of the Mint by Turgot, who was appointed Minister of Finance by Louis XVI. Publishes Lettres d’un théologien à l’auteur du Dictionnaire des trois siècles in defence viii