Donald Trump is the resident of the White House, the European Union is fragmenting, Vladimir Putin is the godfather of the era, and Matteo Salvini is its rising star. Walls are multiplying and bridges are collapsing, ports are closing to the exiled, and customs are returning to their former glory. The liberal democracy that was to spread across the planet is evidently retreating: our failure is catastrophic.

We, the progressive intellectuals, the humanitarian warriors, the advocates of an open society, the champions of human rights, and other cosmopolitans, are unable to stem the nationalist and authoritarian wave sweeping through our societies. My intellectual formation could be described as "liberal." I immersed myself in Kant more easily than in Hegel. I regard Montaigne's work as the absolute frame of reference, rather than Marx's. I read Voltaire with greater enthusiasm than Rousseau.

The philosophical liberalism that I studied and loved was a thought of limits, an attempt to separate political, religious, and economic spheres, the private space from the public, powers from knowledge, an antidote to the hubris – the excess – of kings and prophets. But what do we see today developing, retaining the name of liberalism? The opposite, the exact opposite. We see the boundaries vanish and hubris triumphing.

We see multinational corporations denying state legislation and trying to impose their own. We see banks saved with public money manipulating their accounts and hiding their funds in tax havens. We see the framework of competitiveness no longer functional, in the absence of an arbitration authority capable of enforcing it.

We see company bosses winning electoral contests using the slogan "I succeeded in life, let me manage yours." The crisis of our democracies is not a parenthesis. To overcome it, a clear break with the prevailing analyses and practices is required. Let us remember that only Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal prevented the rise of fascism in the U.S. in the 1930s, at a time when it was sweeping across Europe.

Let us heed Machiavelli's warning: sometimes, the corruption of society is so great that the common good has ceased to exist. A political "hand" must then emerge from the usual frame to restore balance. R.G

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The text by Raphaël Glucksmann is characterized by a sincere adherence to "common decency," a concept so dear to Orwell, and so necessary for our democracy. His book, with a simple yet inspiring style, sits between theoretical reflection and a more personal journey. Philosophy walks hand in hand with history; theoretical analyses, as well as interesting encounters with citizens from different backgrounds, compose the backdrop of the work.

It is the book of a citizen of the world, confronted with the return of the tragic in Europe. Matthias Fekl, Le Nouveau Magazine Littéraire

This is an attempt to regain meaning in the commitment of citizens, focusing on the ecological issue. A generation without landmarks must invent and make captivating a Left that is currently in a coma. If such a rebirth does not happen, the battle will be won by populist outrage. This exciting essay vividly describes the "society of isolation, where the postmodern individual reigns, ignoring the concept of the common good and refusing any sacrifice for the Other." Abel Mestre, Le Monde

In his book, the essayist critiques modern selfish retreat and outlines a new social contract. This is undeniably a socialist book, which is also a critical diagnosis of the state of the world and a draft of a political program. As a representative of a new generation, the author proves that this theory, whose death has been announced so many times, continues to produce ideas, programs, and hope. Laurent Joffrin, Libération

A happy meeting of a book with a current issue where, more or less, the future of our society is at stake. Raphaël Glucksmann's book was released in October. It has been widely read and commented upon. Without mimicking the Oracle, the author sheds light on what is happening today, with an analysis that is substantive – appropriate, if necessary, to encourage the awakening of citizens. François Bernheim, Mediapart

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Raphaël Glucksmann was born in 1979 in Boulogne-Billancourt. A graduate of the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, he works as a journalist and documentary filmmaker. He has served as a columnist for Le Nouvel Observateur and director of Le Nouveau Magazine Littéraire, from which he was removed due to the magazine's critical journalism against President Macron. He has actively participated, as an activist, in various missions in Rwanda, Chechnya, Georgia, and Ukraine. He is a co-founder and representative of the political movement Place Publique, which aims to bring together all political forces of the Left and Ecology that operate in the space between Macron's party and Mélenchon's party.

His other book Against Reactionary Thought is also published by Polis Editions.