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The aim of this article is to assess the relevance of the post-colonial critique of Enlightenment universalism when applied to Condorcet’s political philosophy. To what extent does Condorcet’s approach to colonisation call into question his universalist ideal? To answer this question, we identify two criticisms of the Enlightenment made by post-colonial thinkers. The first criticism is that the concept of civilisation allowed the Enlightenment to justify colonisation, while deferring the granting of human rights to non-Europeans. The second concerns the question of the political autonomy of colonised peoples. By taking the view that insufficiently civilised nations could not exercise the right of sovereignty, the universalism of the Enlightenment made it possible to justify colonial policies in the name of the civilising mission of European nations. This article shows that, while the first criticism fails to achieve its objective, the second highlights the tensions inherent in Condorcet’s universalist ideal.