Julien Freund
Julien Freund (8 January 1921 – 10 September 1993) was a French philosopher and sociologist. He helped bring Max Weber’s ideas to France and is seen as carrying on the work of Carl Schmitt. He spoke both German and French, and his writings were translated into about 20 languages.
Born in Henridorff, Moselle, Freund was the eldest of six children. His mother was a peasant; his father was a socialist worker. When his father died, Freund’s studies ended early. He became a teacher at 17 and worked as a secretary to the local council. During World War II, he joined the resistance, was captured at times, escaped, and continued fighting with resistance groups. He also studied philosophy during this period and later pursued an academic career.
After the war, Freund taught philosophy at various schools in Moselle and Metz, then Strasbourg. From 1960 to 1965 he led research at CNRS. In 1965 he became a professor of sociology at the University of Strasbourg and founded its department of social sciences. He also taught at the College of Europe (Bruges) and at Université de Montréal.
Freund supported limited democracy. He argued that as democracy grows, the state can become more invasive and overreach. He believed politics cannot solve cultural problems or impose social values, and religion should not control democratic life. He also warned that language in democracy can become corrupted by demagoguery and flattery. In 1978 he introduced the idea of mesocracy, a form of power that works together with other counter powers. He emphasized concrete freedoms—such as freedom of the press, freedom of association, and freedom of conscience—rather than a single abstract notion of freedom. He died in Colmar in 1993 at the age of 72.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:03 (CET).