National audienceThe purpose of this paper is to suggest how to apply the notion of ``normative science''. We propose two resolutions to Sen's paradox of a Paretian liberal by invoking two opposite philosophic traditions -liberalism of freedom and liberalism of happiness. Thanks to formalized tools which reflect each of these traditions, we obtain two distinct conditions which enable to resolve this impossibility result. After having examined the signification of these conditions, we opt for liberalism of freedom to deal with Sen's liberal paradox.L'objectif de cet article est de donner un exemple d'application de la notion de ``science normative''. Invoquant successivement deux traditions philosophiques opposées - le libéralisme de la libe...