What countries did Rousseau influence?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Francophone Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer. His political philosophy influenced the Enlightenment in France and across Europe. It was also important to the French Revolution and the overall development of modern political and educational thought.
Where does Rousseau define the general will?
Basic ideas. The phrase “general will,” as Rousseau used it, occurs in Article Six of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (French: Déclaration des droits de l’Homme et du citoyen), composed in 1789 during the French Revolution: The law is the expression of the general will.
What is the ideal government for Rousseau?
Rousseau argued that the general will of the people could not be decided by elected representatives. He believed in a direct democracy in which everyone voted to express the general will and to make the laws of the land. Rousseau had in mind a democracy on a small scale, a city-state like his native Geneva.
Who was the most influential by Rousseau?
| Jean-Jacques Rousseau | |
|---|---|
| Main interests | Political philosophy, music, education, literature, autobiography |
| Notable ideas | General will, amour de soi, amour-propre, moral simplicity of humanity, child-centered learning, civil religion, popular sovereignty, positive liberty, public opinion |
| show Influences | |
| show Influenced |
Who considered general will as sovereign?
Rousseau
In Rousseau’s time, the sovereign was usually an absolute monarch. In The Social Contract, however, this word is given a new meaning. In a healthy republic, Rousseau defines the sovereign as all the citizens acting collectively. Together, they voice the general will and the laws of the state.
Does Rousseau believe in natural rights?
To many thinkers, natural rights are the claims or entitlements we have by virtue of being rational beings. Instead, Rousseau founds his idea of natural right on the principles of pity and self-preservation, which, he claims, existed before reason.
How did Rousseau differ from Hobbes?
Whereas Rousseau separates the sovereign from the government, Hobbes does not. Underlying this basic difference is Rousseau’s insistence that civil society must be based upon preservation of everyone’s freedom and equality in contrast with Hobbes’ insistence that civil society must be based upon power and fear.