De la Justice dans la Révolution et dans l'Église, published in 1858, marks the mature phase of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's political and moral philosophy. Volume I, which constitutes a complete and self-contained work, is devoted to a systematic inquiry into the concept of justice and its role in modern society, set against the enduring conflict between revolutionary principles and ecclesiastical authority.
Rejecting both theological transcendence and state-centered moralism, Proudhon advances a radically immanent conception of justice. Justice, he argues, does not derive from divine command, church doctrine, or sovereign will, but emerges from the reciprocal relations between individuals and groups. In this sense, justice is neither revealed nor imposed; it is lived, practiced, and continually tested within social relations. Against metaphysical skepticism, Proudhon seeks to ground justice in conscience, experience, and collective reason.
Volume I unfolds through four major thematic investigations: the foundations of justice, the dignity of the person, the problem of property and economic equilibrium, and the nature of political authority. Across these domains, Proudhon subjects both the Church and the modern State to sustained critique, exposing how appeals to transcendence-whether theological or political-serve to legitimize domination, inequality, and moral dependency. At the same time, he offers a positive alternative: a moral and political order grounded in autonomy, equality, and mutual responsibility.
Far from being a merely anti-religious polemic, this volume represents a decisive effort to reconstruct morality and political legitimacy without recourse to absolute authority. It stands as a pivotal text linking Proudhon's early economic critiques to his later federalist vision, and remains one of the most ambitious attempts in nineteenth-century thought to reconcile justice, freedom, and social order.
