“On what basis can trust be restored?” Staël and the principles that must form the foundation of the Republic

In spite of the calculation of interests, Staël, in the manuscript of 1798, refuses the sacrifice of the rights of the individual. Freedom depends on the establishment of trust between individuals and institutions. This article first analyzes the way in which Staël reappropriates Rousseau’s defense of fundamental rights, then the modern articulation between political and civil liberty, and finally the means of restoring the trust that preserves the Republic.