16 Questions
According to Rousseau, what makes natural man physically free?
Absence of a repressive state apparatus or domination by fellow men
What did Rousseau believe was responsible for societal ills in modern society?
Enslavement to artificial needs
What did Rousseau consider as the most fundamental objective of good government?
Freedom of all its citizens
Why can people never be entirely free in modern society?
Due to the existence of property and laws
What did Rousseau aim to outline in The Social Contract and other political works?
Principles of government providing freedom similar to the state of nature
How did Rousseau define 'natural'?
By stripping away societal ideas imposed on the true nature of man
How did Rousseau compare modern society to the hypothetical state of nature?
Unfavorably, where people have complete physical freedom
According to Rousseau, what is the general will?
The will of the sovereign, equivalent to the will of all in a healthy state
In Rousseau's work, where does sovereignty reside?
In all the people of the society as a collective, opposed to the government
What did Rousseau believe was essential for society’s members to realize their natural goodness?
Understanding the state of nature
According to Rousseau, what should laws record and ensure?
The general will and individual freedom
What did Rousseau revere the state of nature for?
The physical freedom it grants people
What is Rousseau's conception of the state of nature, as opposed to Hobbes' view?
A state of physical freedom, unlike Hobbes' view of war and savagery
What principle does Rousseau's political philosophy include, aiming at the common good?
The principle of the general will
What does Rousseau's conception of the general will raise questions about?
How to gauge and codify it accurately
What does Rousseau believe laws should guarantee, in relation to the sovereign?
Loyalty to the sovereign
Study Notes
Rousseau's Political Philosophy
- Rousseau believed in government principles that could provide a level of freedom similar to the state of nature
- He aimed to outline these principles in The Social Contract and other political works
- Rousseau defined "natural" by stripping away societal ideas imposed on the true nature of man
- He compared modern society unfavorably to the hypothetical state of nature where people have complete physical freedom
- Rousseau revered the state of nature for the physical freedom it grants people
- His conception of the state of nature differed from Hobbes, who viewed it as a state of war and savagery
- Understanding the state of nature is essential for society’s members to realize their natural goodness
- Rousseau's political philosophy includes the principle of the general will, aiming at the common good
- The general will is the will of the sovereign, equivalent to the will of all in a healthy state
- Laws should record the general will and ensure individual freedom, guaranteeing loyalty to the sovereign
- Rousseau's conception of the general will raises questions about how to gauge and codify it accurately
- In Rousseau's work, sovereignty resides in all the people of the society as a collective, opposed to the government
Test your knowledge of Rousseau's political philosophy with this quiz. Explore his ideas about the state of nature, the general will, and the role of government in ensuring individual freedom. See how well you understand Rousseau's principles outlined in "The Social Contract" and other political works.
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