Rousseau

Question 1

’

‘man is born free…

Answer 1

….but everywhere he is in chains’

Question 2

What is meant by the general will?

Answer 2

-a state can only be legitimate if it is guided by the collective will of the whole body of the people.

Question 3

What are the conditions of the general will?

Answer 3

1- Inalienable
2- Indivisible
3- Infallible

Question 4

What is meant by the general will being inalienable?

Answer 4

-the will of each citizen
-the source law
-the individual cannot claim to be speaking for the people.

Question 5

What is meant by the general will being indivisible?

Answer 5

-will of the community directed toward the common interest.
-the aggregate of particular wills
-even if a majority decides it is in their interest, there still may be a discrepancy in the collectove interest

Question 6

What can each member be described as?

Answer 6

-a private person and a citizen

Question 7

What does it mean to be a private person?

Answer 7

-we are led by our particular wills

Question 8

What does it bean to be a citizen?

Answer 8

-we set aside our private interests and persue the interest and judgement of our community

Question 9

What does it mean for the general will to be infalliable?

Answer 9

-always right
-never unjust
-use of democratic proceasures
-DANGER OF FACTIONALISM.

Question 10

Can we be free and subject to laws?

Answer 10

-yes and it protects us from personal dependence

Question 11

What does being forced to conform mean?

Answer 11

-the social compact allows securing each member against all personal dependence.

Question 12

What is meant by civil freedom?

Answer 12

-ensures proprietorship of all he posesses and limited bt the general will

Question 13

What historcial event did Rousseau write the discourses on inequality?

Answer 13

-the scientific revolution to the French revolution

Question 14

What is Rousseau not convinced by?

Answer 14

-the idea of human progess
-scientific progress has corrupted humanity

Question 15

What does Rousseau say about inequality?

Answer 15

-no inequaluty in a state of nature
-stems from development
-inequality becomes permanent by the establishment of property and laws,

Question 16

What are the three key states according to Rousseau

Answer 16

1- state of nature: state of equality
2- development of human faculties produces inequalties
3. property renders social inequality permenant.

Question 17

What are the natural inequalities?

Answer 17

1. Physical inequaluty
2. They cannot account for the level of inequality we observe in society.

Question 18

What is meant by social/ political inequalties?

Answer 18

1. different privilidges
2. depends on convention and is authorised by the consent of men.

Question 19

What is meant by the natural man versus the social man?

Answer 19

-man is naturally good
-the savage man is social man.

Question 20

What are the nature of the social man and the natural man guided by?

Answer 20

-self preservation
-the capacity for pity of others
-man is natually peaceful and timid- no strong dispostions to make war.

Question 21

1.

Why do technological advances lead to change?

Answer 21

-uneccesary desires and comparisions
-amour propre- vanity

Question 22

What is amour de soi?

Answer 22

-comparitive self preservation

Question 23

What is meant by amour propre?

Answer 23

–self interest and pride

Question 24

What does technology do to the way of life?

Answer 24

-makes it more complex.
-property
-inequaluty

Question 25

What does the emergence of private property mean?

Answer 25

-dispute and continous conflict.
-the rich subjecting the poor.