Rousseau Origin Of Civil Society Essay

Great Essays
Today, various forms of government exist across the world as remnants and variations of the original ideals developed years ago by historic philosophers like John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and James Harrington. Philosophers have played a substantial role in the development of law and government over the course of history in roughly every civilization and they basically served as innovators in the field of moral principles, ethics, and human rights. One of the larger political innovations of the past that heavily affects the America 's today was based upon original ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau, a famous French politic and philosopher of the 1700s during the French Revolution, was an individual who believed in the development of a government …show more content…
Rousseau stood firm in his belief of what the right form of government would look like or at least appear to be, but also argues that people are surrendering rights and freedom to themselves while establishing a civil society. In the reading A World of Ideas; Jean-Jacques Rousseau “The Origin of Civil Society” by Lee Jacobus, they briefly describe what kind of arguments and challenges he had faced from opposing famous philosophers ' beliefs. Some of which including those who played a role in aiding the development of the type of government seen in America today. In the book Jacobus …show more content…
The people understood that they are the power and centerpiece holding everything together. He also truly enjoyed how the people would come together as a whole to discuss the issues face to face that were happening on all levels from the government to the people. Hobbes was quite the opposite of this however which led Rousseau to maintain such a firm stance with him as well as Grotius. Rousseau’s legacy is based mainly on two concepts found in his work with the idea of the Social Contract Theory. However, the purpose of Rousseau 's philosophy and his approved government is essentially the idea that if all problems are met with the unity of the people and dealt with accordingly using his Social Contract Theory. The Social Contract Theory was a moral and political perspective that each individuals has obligations to own up to within their society. This meant that those obligations could mean anything from meeting up to resolve issues with other members of the society to how much a power a state could actually have over any one particular individual. It also that identified the proper course of action for a variety of different scenarios as well as governing rules and what are essentially

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Parisian philosopher in the 18th century. Rousseau is best known for his book, The Social contract, which was published in 1762. The Social Contract was the idea that, as stated in the ICivics article, “In order to have real authority, government must be based on an agreement, or contract, people make with society. Rousseau believed that the majority shall rule, which…

    • 471 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Rousseau rejects the idea of a single sovereign saying that people can only be subjected freely if they are themselves the sovereign. This idea of popular sovereignty and of the general will (event though previously used by Malebranche) are probably the most fiery points. For Rousseau the general will is the will of the people as it reflects the will of each member of society. Thus it is different from the will of the majority. As a matter of fact, the general will becomes the will of the majority when society degenerates.…

    • 624 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Firstly, Rousseau’s idea of a common good was a familiar phrase of those in the French Revolution. This was a common saying because many important figures of the French Revolution, like Maximilien Robespierre, believed Rousseau had a brilliant philosophy on how a government should run. Secondly, Rousseau’s writings in the Social Contract reflected that he encouraged revolutions. He wrote “when revolutions do to peoples what certain crises do to individuals, when the horror of the past takes the place of forgetting, and when the State aflame with civil wars is so to speak reborn from its ashes and recovers the vigor of youth as it escapes death's embrace” (Social Contract). By writing this Rousseau was able to plant a seed for a revolution whether he knew it or not.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Thomas Paine also cemented their ideas of elected politicians should have no differing opinion than of the electors, thus ensuring rule by the common man’s will. However especially during the Revolutionary War, it was a well very well received document as it discussed the separation between England and the colonies. Rousseau was another leader the Anti-federalists of whom they took cues from. Rousseau was known to have a more complacent view on man in nature, believing people were born free, and the only chains on man are that of government. Their writings also included discussion that government, if not following the people’s will, should be broken as it means the social contract between government and people has been severed.…

    • 1806 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Bailyn argues that this was more so a democracy that started many social movements that reformed the electoral system. Bernard Bailyn often referred John Locke as the “intellectual godfather” of the revolution throughout the book (Bailyn 27-33). The way of Locke’s way of thinking was considered “liberalism” by historians and gave Locke credit due to the fact that his ideology was one of the biggest factors influencing American independence. Mr. Bailyn also talked about Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which was mentioned during class when Dr. Glass lectured on the ‘Social Contract’. Mr. Rousseau developed this contract in 1762.…

    • 1004 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    INTRODUCTION Underlying Adams’ quote is the important question as to whether society is progressive and has positive implications for humans, or whether its implications are negative and corrupting. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Émile Durkheim are two political theorists who battle in their writing to determine what is bad and what is good about society. This essay will consider how progressive or corrupting society is and in what ways, according to Rousseau and Durkheim. The essay will explore Rousseau’s argument about the ‘chains’ of society, and look at Durkheim’s contrasting view of the value of community in society.…

    • 2119 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    In Rousseau’s argument, men cannot be as free as they are in the state of nature in modern society and asserts that that institutions and structures in modern society contradict the freedom and natural goodness of man. Yet, a specific government may be able to provide its members with a certain amount of freedom that somewhat amounts to that present in the state of nature. He writes, in regards to the role of government, “Find a form of association which defends and protects with all common forces the person and goods of each associate, and by means of which each one, while uniting with all, nevertheless obeys only himself and remains as free as before” (Rousseau, 148). The ultimate goal of the government is to ensure the natural freedom of its societal members. The law put forth from the government should be a reflection of the general will of the community.…

    • 1838 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The purpose of law for Rousseau is to communicate the general will of the people. The general will of the people puts the common interest of all involved at the forefront. Whereas in the state of nature there was a sense of inequality, once the social contract is in effect there is equality as everyone is needed for the common good to take place. In order for these laws to be enacted the majority must agree to give up their individual rights for the protection of all. The sovereign hopes to serve the common good while putting private interest last.…

    • 2006 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In order to have a peaceful, and prosperous society or community, the laws of that society should be based on the interests and will of the majority of the citizens. His idea of general will is very similar to the ideology of democracy, where every individual interests are considered and the interests of majority rules. However I also believe that the idea of general will, would not be established in today’s world because each individual in each country around the world has different interests and it will very difficult nowadays to live within a society which shares a general will because in Rousseau’s general will, all the power, rights and interests of each individual are controlled and directed by community…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Monique Wilder Professor David Hill SSP 101.7920 July 15, 2015 Midterm 1) Explain the main differences and similarities between the ideas of Hobbes and Locke’s. Similarities include: rights, state of nature, atheism, powers of a sovereign, and the idea that governments are beneficial. John Locke and Thomas Hobbes are two social contract theorist who share similarities in their Social Contract Theories, however they both have differences. The social contract theory is a voluntary agreement among individuals by which organized society is brought into being and invested with the right to secure mutual protection and welfare or to regulate the relations among its members.…

    • 908 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hobbes Vs. Rousseau

    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In this paper, I will be analyzing and explaining the way that Hobbes and Rousseau’s ideas regarding the national condition of human beings differ. In my exegesis, I will be discussing how in Leviathan (ch. 13), Hobbes takes a stance regarding egoism, the idea that man always acts in their own interest. I will also be discussing the fact that Rousseau is fundamentally opposed to the ideas in which Hobbes presents. Rousseau believes that society taints the fundamental core beliefs of mankind. I will then present the critical point of this paper: the fact that the two philosophers have very conflicting viewpoints on the concept of human nature.…

    • 1582 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau than died on July 2, 1778 in Ermenonville, France. He was a well-known philosopher, writer, and political theorist whose treatises and novels inspired the leaders of the French Revolution and the Romantic generation. He had an outward thinking ability in which turned people from a one tracked mind to open ended minds. Rousseau had an enormous impact on the people and for that their lives changed. He had a wonderful set of thinking outside the box with reaching out in his books to the people.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The ‘general will’ would now govern the states, taking away one’s natural rights, but gaining them civil liberties. According to Rousseau, the ‘general will’ was when man gave power to the majority and essentially hoped that they would govern correctly. By following the guidelines set out than one would essentially be governing themselves because the guidelines of society are set up with consideration for the ‘general will’. Rousseau valued the idea of people’s sovereignty and for him the state, ‘general will’, laws, and guidelines were…

    • 1070 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Social Contract Theory is an agreement between the people and the government that the people will obey the government as long as the government serves in a capacity that protects the rights of the people and furthers the good for the general will. Before we consent, we exist in the state of nature. In the state of nature, we follow natural law. Natural law comes from God. Natural law gives us our natural rights, which we are promised because of our personhood.…

    • 1264 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The best form of government for a society is the democratic system. Most people will agree with me, because it is the form of government that presents greatest strengths and benefits to the Human Being, but also present certain dangers, such as that depends on the opinion and participation of the most. How can this be a disadvantage? Well, if the majority is not adequately prepared to think freely and reflectively, this will be the first step to destroy the best system of government today. That is why I think that Rousseau in the Social Contract expresses the Best Form of Government.…

    • 560 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays