{{Short description|French quarterly magazine}} {{Infobox magazine | title = Commentaire | logo = | logo_size = <!-- default is 180px --> | image_file = SaintPeres76.jpg | image_size = <!-- default is 180px --> | image_alt = | image_caption = Building at 76, rue des Saints-Pères in Paris, office of Commentaire since 2021 | editor = <!-- up to |editor6= --> | editor_title = <!-- up to |editor_title6= --> | previous_editor = | staff_writer = | photographer = | category = | frequency = Quarterly | format = | circulation = | publisher = | paid_circulation = | unpaid_circulation = | circulation_year = 2008 | total_circulation = 6000 | founder = | founded = | firstdate = {{Start date and age|1978}}<!-- {{Start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | finaldate = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | finalnumber = | company = | country = France | based = | language = French | website = {{URL|https://www.commentaire.fr}} | issn = 0180-8214 | eissn = 2272-8988 | oclc = }} '''''Commentaire''''' is a French quarterly magazine, created in 1978 by Raymond Aron and Jean-Claude Casanova.<ref name=Quinton>{{cite web|url=https://www.nonfiction.fr/article-919-entretien_avec_jean_claude_casanova__1__la_creation_de_la_revue.htm|title=Entretien avec Jean-Claude Casanova (1) : La création de la revue|author=François Quinton|website=nonfiction.fr|date=10 April 2008}}</ref>
Aron's previous journal venture, started in 1970 and titled ''Contrepoint'', had been terminated in 1976 following disagreements among its founders and its owner Patrick Devedjian. In a wide-ranging 2008 interview, Casanova described the decision to create Commentaire as having been made in late 1977 and involving, besides Aron and himself, a group of common friends that included Annie Kriegel, Jean Baechler, Alain Besançon, {{ill|François Bourricaud|fr}}, and {{ill|Kostas Papaïoannou|fr}}. The journal's motto, a quote from Pericles, was suggested by Papaioannou: ''Il n’y a pas de bonheur sans liberté, ni de liberté sans vaillance'' ("there can be neither happiness without liberty, nor liberty without courage"). Pierre Manent was the author of a manifesto explaining the journal's purpose in the first issue.<ref name=Quinton/>
Among the journal's avowedly liberal inspirations, Casanova cited Montesquieu, Benjamin Constant, Alexis de Tocqueville, Élie Halévy, and Aron himself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nonfiction.fr/article-921-entretien_avec_jean_claude_casanova__2__le_liberalisme.htm|title=Entretien avec Jean-Claude Casanova (2) : Le libéralisme|author=François Quinton|website=nonfiction.fr|date=10 April 2008}}</ref>
The journal relies largely on volunteer work and a small administrative staff. In 2008, it printed 6,000 copies and had 3,800 subscribers, the rest being sold in bookstores and news shops.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nonfiction.fr/article-933-entretien_avec_jean_claude_casanova__5__le_modele_economique.htm|title=Entretien avec Jean-Claude Casanova (5) : Le modèle économique|author=François Quinton|website=nonfiction.fr|date=10 April 2008}}</ref>
A specific feature is the abundance of selected quotes in each of the journal's issues. A section titled ''sans commentaire'' ("no comment") includes involuntary comical quotes, often from political leaders or ideological commentators.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nonfiction.fr/article-926-entretien_avec_jean_claude_casanova__6__commentaire_dans_le_paysage_intellectuel.htm|title=Entretien avec Jean-Claude Casanova (6) : Commentaire dans le paysage intellectuel|author=François Quinton|website=nonfiction.fr|date=10 April 2008}}</ref>
In 2017, ''Commentaire'' made all its past published articles available online.<ref>{{cite web|website=Le Figaro|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/langue-francaise/actu-des-mots/2017/08/01/37002-20170801ARTFIG00004--commentaire-une-revue-a-la-page.php|title=Commentaire, une revue à la page|author=Alice Develey|date=1 August 2017}}</ref> Like its center-left peer ''Esprit'', it is self-published and not dependent on a large publishing house.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/actualite-medias/article/2020/09/20/fin-du-debat-retour-du-combat_6052963_3236.html|website=Le Monde|title=La fin de la revue " Le Débat " suscite des lectures divergentes dans le milieu de la pensée française|author=Nicolas Truong|date=20 September 2020}}</ref>
==Affiliates==
As of early 2021, Commentaire's website mentioned two circles of affiliates (including past and deceased ones):<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.commentaire.fr/la-revue|website=Commentaire|title=Qui sommes-nous ?}}</ref> * Editorial Board (''Conseil de rédaction''): {{ill|Gilles Andréani|fr}}, {{ill|Nicolas Baverez|fr}}, Guy Berger, Alain Besançon, Jean-Louis Bourlanges, Nathalie Delapalme, Gilles Étrillard, Marc Fumaroli, Pierre Manent, George de Ménil, {{ill|Philippe Meyer (journalist){{!}}Philippe Meyer|fr|Philippe Meyer (journaliste)}}, François Sureau, Philippe Trainar, Michel Zink * Editorial Committee (''Comité de rédaction''): Cédric Argenton, Jean Baechler, Guillaume Barrera, Karol Beffa, Jacques Bille, Dominique Bocquet, Michel Bourdeau, {{ill|Fabrice Bouthillon|fr}}, Christopher Caldwell, Gwendal Châton, Laurent Cohen-Tanugi, Benedetta Craveri, Jean-Marc Daniel, {{ill|Gil Delannoi|fr}}, {{ill|Jacques Dewitte|fr}}, Michel Duclos, Bruno Durieux, Vincent Feré, Louis de Fouchécour, {{ill|Alexandre Gady|fr}}, Jean Gatty, François Gorand, Donatien Grau, Sylviane Guillaumont, Patrick Guillaumont, Michel Gurfinkiel, {{ill|Ran Halévi|fr}}, Pierre Hassner, Jean-Vincent Holeindre, {{ill|Henri Hude|fr}}, {{ill|Roland Hureaux|fr}}, Pierre Kende, Annie Kriegel, {{ill|Arthur Kriegel|fr}}, Armand Laferrère, Guillaume Lagane, Mathieu Laine, Vincent Laloy, Alain Lancelot, Alain Laurent, Tristan Lecoq, {{ill|Franck Lessay|fr}}, Didier Maillard, Béatrice Majnoni d'Intignano, Sophie-Caroline de Margerie, Hervé Mariton, François de Mazières, Paul Mentré, Christophe Mercier, Thierry de Montbrial, {{ill|Jean-Thomas Nordmann|fr}}, {{ill|Kostas Papaïoannou|fr}}, Benoît Pellistrandi, Rémy Prud'Homme, {{ill|Philippe Raynaud|fr}}, Pierre Rigoulot, Hervé Robert, Giuseppe Sacco, {{ill|Christian Saint-Étienne|fr}}, Maryvonne de Saint-Pulgent, {{ill|Guillaume Sainteny|fr}}, Dominique Schnapper, Antoine Schnapper, Mark Sherringham, Christine Sourgins, {{ill|Christian Stoffaës|fr}}, {{ill|Laurent Theis|fr}}, Éric Thiers, Françoise Thom, Nicolas Véron, Jean-Philippe Vincent, {{ill|Emmanuel de Waresquiel|fr}}
==See also== * ''Le Débat'' * ''Esprit'' * ''Études'' * ''Revue des deux Mondes''
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
Category:1978 establishments in France Category:Magazines established in 1978 Category:Quarterly magazines published in France