32 Questions
What did Rousseau aim to outline in The Social Contract and other political works?
Government principles that could provide a level of 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 view modern society in comparison to the hypothetical state of nature?
Unfavorably, as it restricts physical freedom
How did Rousseau's conception of the state of nature differ from Hobbes' view?
Rousseau revered it for physical freedom, while Hobbes viewed it as a state of war and savagery
What does Rousseau's political philosophy include?
The principle of the general will, aiming at the common good
What is the general will according to Rousseau?
The will of the sovereign, equivalent to the will of all in a healthy state
How did Rousseau suggest laws should be related to the general will?
Laws should record the general will and ensure individual freedom, guaranteeing loyalty to the sovereign
What does Rousseau's conception of the general will raise questions about?
How to gauge and codify it accurately
Where does Rousseau's work suggest sovereignty resides?
In all the people of the society as a collective, opposed to the government
According to Rousseau, why is natural man considered to be physically free?
Not constrained by a repressive state apparatus or dominated by fellow men
What does Rousseau consider as the second sense of freedom for natural man?
Freedom from artificial needs
What did Rousseau believe was responsible for societal ills in modern society?
Modern man's enslavement to his own needs
What did Rousseau consider as the most fundamental objective of good government?
The freedom of all its citizens
According to Rousseau, why can people never be entirely free in modern society?
As long as property and laws exist
What does Rousseau aim to explain in The Social Contract?
The form of government that best affirms the individual freedom of all its citizens
What did Rousseau believe was responsible for poor self-esteem and depression in modern society?
Modern man’s enslavement to his own needs
What is the second reason that natural man is considered to be total free according to Rousseau?
Psychologically and spiritually free
What did Rousseau believe was responsible for the exploitation and domination of others in modern society?
Modern man’s enslavement to his own needs
What did Rousseau acknowledge as a constraint to the individual freedom of citizens in a modern, civil society?
Property and laws
According to Rousseau, what must a good government have as its most fundamental objective?
The freedom of all its citizens
What did Rousseau consider as a particularly insightful and revolutionary component of his philosophy?
The freedom from need
According to Rousseau, why is natural man considered to be physically free?
He is not constrained by a repressive state apparatus or dominated by his fellow men
What does Rousseau believe modern man's enslavement to his own needs is responsible for?
Exploitation and domination of others
What is the primary objective of good government according to Rousseau?
To have the freedom of all its citizens
What does Rousseau acknowledge about the freedom of people in modern society?
People can never be as entirely free in modern society as they are in the state of nature
What did Rousseau aim to explain in The Social Contract?
The form of government that best affirms the individual freedom of all its citizens
According to Rousseau, why is natural man considered to be psychologically and spiritually free?
He is not enslaved to any of the artificial needs that characterize modern society
What makes up a particularly insightful and revolutionary component of Rousseau’s philosophy?
The second sense of freedom, the freedom from need
What did Rousseau believe was responsible for all sorts of societal ills in modern society?
Modern man’s enslavement to his own needs
What did Rousseau believe was responsible for people not being entirely free in modern society?
Property and laws
What did Rousseau believe was the most fundamental objective of good government?
The freedom of all its citizens
What did Rousseau attempt to imagine in The Social Contract?
The form of government that best affirms the individual freedom of all its citizens
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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