That the image of terrorism is diffuse in France is the consequence of two major factors. The first is the lack of an active, visible, and coherent indigenous terrorist organization. Thus, terrorism appears as a foreign phenomenon, and linkages with the domestic social order must be by way of analogy rather than through self-evident factual demonstration. An antiterrorist consensus remains a somewhat abstract formula and is unlikely to produce policy decisions, pressures for immediate action, or the suspension of disbelief in the benefits of bureaucratic repression necessary for the acceptance of special legislation and emergency measures. The second major factor involves France's political culture, with its unique mixture of liberal revolutionary administrative elements, where the label 'left' is often adopted by right-wing groups, and intellectual radicalism is regarded as a political and cultural resource underlying France's humane and civilizing mission in the world. Despite the low-level political violence that does exist and the erosion of the social, economic, and political pluralism that nurtured the French political tradition, its cultural power is still paramount. France has done better than many other nations in maintaining its commitment to those values that must underlie a genuine democratic pluralism. A total of 81 notes and references are listed. (Author abstract modified)