Bernard Manin (1951-2024)
Bernard Manin, a French political theorist and philosopher who was Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and Emeritus Professor of Politics at New York University, has died.
Professor Manin was known for his work on democratic theory and the history of political thought. You can learn more about his writings here and here.
The following obituary was written by Charles Girard, Melissa Schwartzberg, and Philippe Urfalino.
Bernard Manin (1951-2024)
Political theorist Bernard Manin died in Marseille on Friday, November 1, 2024; before his retirement, he had been director of studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and Professor of Politics at New York University.
After graduating from the École normale supérieure de la rue d’Ulm, and obtaining the agrégation in philosophy, he embarked on a dual career in France and the United States. Recruited by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in 1982, he subsequently became a professor at Science Po Paris, before being elected to the EHESS in 2005. He also spent time at the Institute for Advanced Studies prior to joining the political science faculty at the University of Chicago in 1990; he moved to New York University in 1996. He received honorary doctorates from the universities of Lausanne, Liège and Urbino, and was awarded the CNRS silver medal in 2015.
Manin’s first books, with Alain Bergonioux, focused on social democracy. But he was best known for his work in democratic theory, notably the landmark work, Principles of Representative Government, published in English by Cambridge University Press in 1997. In Principles, Manin analyzed the historical emergence of representative government and its central institution, election; he pointed out that whereas, from antiquity, lottery had been the key democratic institution, elections were considered aristocratic (or oligarchic). In the modern period, he argued, representative governments contain both elements, akin to the mixed regimes of the ancient world. Editions Hermann has just published a collection of his essays on Montesquieu; two other volumes – a collection of his articles on deliberation, and a book on the French Revolution and the Terror – will appear in the coming years.
A beloved teacher and adviser, he was notable for his personal warmth and generosity, as well as his deeply egalitarian spirit.
I’m so grateful for Prof. Schwartzberg for sharing this memorial notice with the rest of the philosophy world.
Bernard was my Ph.D. advisor at NYU (along with Russell Hardin) and he was such a wonderful mentor. Although the topic of my dissertation was outside the areas he normally worked in, he was always extremely kind, encouraging, and patient with me.
I also had the privilege of T.A.ing for several of his undergraduate classes and it was inspiring to see someone have such a command of both ancient and modern political thought. Bernard was a true scholar (in the best sense of that word). I will be forever grateful that I had him as a role model for when I was trying to figure out how to become a good teacher.
Like Prof. Schwartzberg noted, Bernard was also extremely warm and generous on a personal level. One of my fondest memories is of a lunch that I had with Bernard and my dear friend Mathew Coakley after we both defended our dissertations. Bernard took us to Jean-Georges for an amazing meal and made us both feel like we were truly his colleagues and not just his students.
Although I’m extremely saddened by his loss, I was so lucky to have him as my advisor. A delightful man who will be missed by so many—au revoir, Bernard!