Similarities Between Rousseau And Tocqueville

One can even see this by the fact that Rousseau believes that virtually all assembly votes would be almost unanimous because people should be able to see what their common interests are. (Rousseau 184). However, states, historical and present, are not known for the unanimity on all issues, if at all any. Thus, Rousseau’s conception of the general will and how it is implemented falls through simply by looking at the hypothetical application of his theories. Additionally, the general will allows for the rule of the majority through a point-blank voting system, which eliminates the voice of the minorities. According to Rousseau, civil laws must be determined by a majority vote of the representatives of the entire population, leaving the ideas and opinions of the minorities to be disregarded. The minorities have to accept the will of the majority, as the general will has been determined and cannot refuse to cooperate, as is explicitly stated with “the citizen gives his consent to all the laws, including those which are passed in …show more content…
Rousseau regards the will of the majority to be the manifestation of the general will, and so believes that minorities are wrong in their opinions. However, Tocqueville fears the “tyranny of the majority” both in a political sense and a social one. His fears validate the flaws found in Rousseau’s argument, as the liberty of the people is stripped away, leaving a population that follows blindly what the majority says. This fear is found prevalent in modern day societies, and not only in a political setting, as seen with “peer pressure.” And so, the clashes about the role of the majority brought forth by two political theorists can be witnessed today in all manner of settings in terms of liberty, political representation, and intellectual