Abstract

This paper seeks to determine the relationship between anarchy and democracy in Proudhon’s thought, considering the place of the conflict in this autor. The first part exposes what Proudhon names antagonism and antinomy in his social ontology and the different sorts of conflicts this ontology takes into account. The second part focuses on a case of antinomy, that is at the same time a basic and a borderline case : sexual difference, that Proudhon considers as an antinomy, but not as a conflict. The last part shows how this theory of conflictuality leads to a criticism of democracy and to a positive federalist project.