Philosophy / Unit 8 Philosophy 0324 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Rousseau and the General Will
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The idea
Rousseau: people are naturally good and corrupted by society; legitimate law expresses the general will—what citizens will together for the common good.
In practice
His opening line: man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains—the contract must make the chains legitimate.
Where people slip
The general will is not majority vote—a majority can will selfishly. That gap does heavy, disputed work.
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