Abstract
This article (first published in 1989) traces the origin of the modern concept of emancipation through the contributions of two remarkable intellectual figures of Nineteenth century French thought, such as P.-S. Ballanche e J.-J. Jacotot. By shedding light on the contradictions underlying the emancipatory struggles of the 1800s, both within the workers movement and the feminist movement, the essay suggests to critically reflect on the ideal tensions that characterise the relationship between the notion of emancipation, on the one hand, and the notions of equality and freedom, on the other hand. By so doing, it deeply questions the very possibility to cultivate a collective project for the emancipation of society as a whole.