Kathleen McCrudden Illert – författare

Sophie de Grouchy was a political philosopher and activist practising at the centre of Revolutionary events in France between 1789 and 1815. Despite this, her contributions to the development of political thought are often overlooked, with Grouchy commonly falling under the shadow of her husband Nicolas de Caritat, the marquis de Condorcet. A Republic of Sympathy instead situates Grouchy as a significant figure among her contemporaries, offering the first complete exploration of her shifting thought and practice across this period of societal upheaval. Kathleen McCrudden Illert analyses texts newly attributed to Grouchy and examines her intellectual collaborations, demonstrating how Grouchy continued to develop a unique philosophy which placed sympathy as the glue between the individual and the political community. The study also explores Grouchy's connections with her peers and interlocutors, from Adam Smith and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, to Thomas Paine and Jacques Pierre Brissot. In doing so, it argues powerfully for Grouchy's reintegration into the history of European political thought.

Sophie de Grouchy: Great Women Thinkers provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to Sophie de Grouchy’s intellectual and political work across her active years from 1786 to 1815.Drawing on recent scholarship and newly uncovered archival materials, this entry in the Great Women Thinkers series situates Grouchy’s innovative contributions within Revolutionary France. It explores her conviction that politics must be grounded in the sentiment of sympathy, tracing how this central idea shaped her reinterpretation of Republicanism, her interventions in debates on aesthetics, and her rethinking of rights. The book also shows how she adapted her philosophical voice to the constraints of her gender and historical moment by writing across multiple genres and forging intellectual collaborations.Key themes include• sympathy as a political foundation• a distinctive turn in Republican thought• contributions to aesthetic philosophy• an innovative approach to rights theorySophie de Grouchy: Great Women Thinkers is ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate students in History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Gender Studies. The book will also appeal to general readers interested in Grouchy’s thought and women’s intellectual history.