Rousseau: The General Will: 3 key ideas

by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The core ideas of Rousseau: The General Will, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

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IDEA 1 OF 3
The general will
Rousseau argued that legitimate laws express the common good that citizens would choose together, not just the sum of private interests.
IDEA 2 OF 3
Freedom through participation
Citizens are free when they obey laws they helped make.
Active participation keeps democracy alive.
IDEA 3 OF 3
Civilisation and inequality
He suggested that private property and social comparison bred inequality and vanity.
Progress can carry hidden costs.

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