Rousseau´s Solution to ¨The Fundamental Problem¨ - 1178 Words

The problem is to find a form of association †¦ in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before.’ Does Rousseau have a convincing solution to the problem he poses? The opening line of Jean-Jacques Rousseaus influential work The Social Contract (1762), is man is born free, and he is everywhere in chains. Those who think themselves masters of others are indeed greater slaves than they. These are not physical chains, but psychological and means that all men are constraints of the laws they are subjected to, and that they are forced into a false liberty, irrespective of class. This goes against Rousseaus theory of general will which is at the heart of his philosophy. In†¦show more content†¦In Platos Crito, Socrates chose not to escape prison because he had chosen to reside in Athens, by doing so he accepted the terms on the implied contract. In Hobbes Leviathan, his social contract view concluded that all individuals, to avoid an anarchic state of nature should give up their individualistic rights to a ruler or rulers in return for safety under the laws imposed by the ruler. Locke in his second treatise on civil government differed sl ightly from Hobbes, by concluded that individuals in a state of nature would cohere and provide a neutral entity that would protect lives and property by introducing laws. David Hume was a critic of Hobbes and Lockes versions of the social contract. Firstly he points out that there had never been a situation called the state of nature and that no-one had consented to a social contract, mainly because the social contract was purely hypothetical. Almost all governments that exist at present...have been founded either on usurpation or conquest, or both, without any pretence of a fair consent or voluntary subjection of the people (Hume extract line 81-83). A friend of Rousseaus, Hume did agree that it did not matter how a government was formed, it can only rest if it has the legitimate foundation of the peoples it governs consent. This solution where a democratic government is in place, means that individuals can vote and have their individual concerns used to influence decisions madeShow MoreRelatedMontesquieu s Spirit Of Laws And Jean Jacques Rousseau s On The Social Contract1620 Words   |  7 PagesWhat entity dictates life on the most fundamental level? Is it the government or the people who permit the government to exist? This is the main point of contention between Baron de Montesquieu s Spirit of Laws and Jean-Jacques Rousseau s On the Social Contract. Interestingly, their interpretation of different forms of government converge on the sovereignty of a democracy, but that is where most of their common ground lies. While Rousseau shares similarities on the sovereign authority of a democracyRead MoreAutonomy Means Behaving And Thinking Independently Of Others1528 Words   |  7 Pageschildren and how much inference of adults should be involved in early childhood education. So, this essay will discuss t he sense of autonomy required for children to grow as explored in the work of two great educational philosophers, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Maria Montessori. Furthermore, every child get different levels of autonomy depend on the family, customs, traditions, rules and regulations of the country where they live. I got birth in India and spend my childhood there. The essay will furtherRead MoreThe Inequality Of Class Stratification950 Words   |  4 Pages1. Are we really equal? â€Å"Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains† (Rousseau, 1994, p.45.). 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