Rousseau, Social Contract
Class Notes
- what is general will
- different from "will of all"
- does social contract make gov legitimate?
Summary
Rousseau wrote about what gives government its authority. He argued that government can only have authority when people give it authority. And people give it authority when they enter into a contract with each other. Rousseau calls this the “social contract,” and says that when men enter such a contract, the real authority is called the “sovereign,” and makes laws that will lead to the general good. The sovereign does not deal with individuals, but only with general laws and principles. No person can choose to wish something that is detrimental to himself, and so the common good can not be harmful to any. The goal of this contract is to preserve everyone who has entered into it. So if someone breaks the contract, they enter into a state of war with with all the others, and those still under the contract have the right to kill him.