Aux origines d’une culture politique moderne. Constitutionnalisme et pensée politique chez P. -C. -F. Daunou (1761-1840)

The research is centred on the reconstruction of the intellectual biography of Pierre-Claude-François Daunou (1761–1840), a French intellectual and politician. The analysis of his complex and evolving reflections in the political and constitutional domain extends beyond his personal case, aiming to shed light on the development of political principles and practices from the late 18th century to the first half of the 19th century. At the core of the study lies a dual objective, approached from a dual perspective: on the one hand, the reconstruction of the intellectual profile of one of the most celebrated public figures of his time, yet surprisingly overlooked by subsequent scholarship; on the other hand, the identification of original lines underpinning a modern political culture, shaped by the collective contributions of various political actors and national contexts, not confined to the French revolutionary epicentre. The various stages of Daunou’s political and intellectual trajectory will thus offer, from an internal perspective, insight into mechanisms and dynamics otherwise invisible to scholars. By employing a distinctive and privileged lens, broader issues of general relevance will be problematized, tracing a particular evolutionary path that, despite ruptures and discontinuities, connects the various French constitutional experiments with the universe of sister republics and, ultimately, with the notorious constitution of 1799. The research will conclude with an examination of the Restoration era, where Daunou once again emerges as a key figure in revealing multiple connections between political thought, shaped through the revolutionary decade at a European level, and the new revolutionary experiences and practices emerging in an Atlantic framework.