# Commentaire

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{{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](/source/Raymond_Aron) and [Jean-Claude Casanova](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Annie_Kriegel), [Jean Baechler](/source/Jean_Baechler), [Alain Besançon](/source/Alain_Besan%C3%A7on), {{ill|François Bourricaud|fr}}, and {{ill|Kostas Papaïoannou|fr}}. The journal's motto, a quote from [Pericles](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Liberalism) inspirations, Casanova cited [Montesquieu](/source/Montesquieu), [Benjamin Constant](/source/Benjamin_Constant), [Alexis de Tocqueville](/source/Alexis_de_Tocqueville), [Élie Halévy](/source/%C3%89lie_Hal%C3%A9vy), 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](/source/Alain_Besan%C3%A7on), [Jean-Louis Bourlanges](/source/Jean-Louis_Bourlanges), Nathalie Delapalme, Gilles Étrillard, [Marc Fumaroli](/source/Marc_Fumaroli), [Pierre Manent](/source/Pierre_Manent), [George de Ménil](/source/George_de_M%C3%A9nil), {{ill|Philippe Meyer (journalist){{!}}Philippe Meyer|fr|Philippe Meyer (journaliste)}}, [François Sureau](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_Sureau), Philippe Trainar, [Michel Zink](/source/Michel_Zink)
* Editorial Committee (''Comité de rédaction''): Cédric Argenton, [Jean Baechler](/source/Jean_Baechler), Guillaume Barrera, [Karol Beffa](/source/Karol_Beffa), Jacques Bille, Dominique Bocquet, Michel Bourdeau, {{ill|Fabrice Bouthillon|fr}}, [Christopher Caldwell](/source/Christopher_Caldwell_(journalist)), Gwendal Châton, Laurent Cohen-Tanugi, [Benedetta Craveri](/source/Benedetta_Craveri), [Jean-Marc Daniel](/source/Jean-Marc_Daniel), {{ill|Gil Delannoi|fr}}, {{ill|Jacques Dewitte|fr}}, Michel Duclos, [Bruno Durieux](/source/Bruno_Durieux), Vincent Feré, Louis de Fouchécour, {{ill|Alexandre Gady|fr}}, Jean Gatty, François Gorand, Donatien Grau, Sylviane Guillaumont, Patrick Guillaumont, [Michel Gurfinkiel](/source/Michel_Gurfinkiel), {{ill|Ran Halévi|fr}}, [Pierre Hassner](/source/Pierre_Hassner), Jean-Vincent Holeindre, {{ill|Henri Hude|fr}}, {{ill|Roland Hureaux|fr}}, Pierre Kende, [Annie Kriegel](/source/Annie_Kriegel), {{ill|Arthur Kriegel|fr}}, Armand Laferrère, Guillaume Lagane, [Mathieu Laine](/source/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](/source/Herv%C3%A9_Mariton), [François de Mazières](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_de_Mazi%C3%A8res), Paul Mentré, Christophe Mercier, [Thierry de Montbrial](/source/Thierry_de_Montbrial), {{ill|Jean-Thomas Nordmann|fr}}, {{ill|Kostas Papaïoannou|fr}}, [Benoît Pellistrandi](/source/Beno%C3%AEt_Pellistrandi), Rémy Prud'Homme, {{ill|Philippe Raynaud|fr}}, [Pierre Rigoulot](/source/Pierre_Rigoulot), Hervé Robert, [Giuseppe Sacco](/source/Giuseppe_Sacco), {{ill|Christian Saint-Étienne|fr}}, [Maryvonne de Saint-Pulgent](/source/Maryvonne_de_Saint-Pulgent), {{ill|Guillaume Sainteny|fr}}, [Dominique Schnapper](/source/Dominique_Schnapper), [Antoine Schnapper](/source/Antoine_Schnapper), Mark Sherringham, Christine Sourgins, {{ill|Christian Stoffaës|fr}}, {{ill|Laurent Theis|fr}}, Éric Thiers, [Françoise Thom](/source/Fran%C3%A7oise_Thom), [Nicolas Véron](/source/Nicolas_V%C3%A9ron), Jean-Philippe Vincent, {{ill|Emmanuel de Waresquiel|fr}}

==See also==
* ''[Le Débat](/source/Le_D%C3%A9bat)''
* ''[Esprit](/source/Esprit_(magazine))''
* ''[Études](/source/%C3%89tudes_(journal))''
* ''[Revue des deux Mondes](/source/Revue_des_deux_Mondes)''

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

Category:1978 establishments in France
Category:Magazines established in 1978
Category:Quarterly magazines published in France

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Commentaire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commentaire) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commentaire?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.