An expert in the history and theory of democracy, Pierre Rosanvallon is a Professor of the College de France, and one of the foremost European political theoreticians. In his book Utopian Capitalism, which has already appeared in three editions in France, Rosanvallon describes the emergence in European thought of one of the most powerful modern concepts — that of society as a self-regulating, harmonious, transparent market — a market which requires no outside political interference. Created by 18th century political economy, this utopian concept remains one of the main cornerstones of modern liberal thought. Tracing its development through the years, the author introduces the view that political interference is an inevitable thing. Real capitalism, Rosanvallon argues, is nothing like the theoretical idyll.