PHIL 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Totalitarianism

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHIL 1010
• Professor: Victoria Burke

Document Summary

Rousseau"s state of nature: rousseau argues that in a state of nature (pre-political) we have no rights, because we have no language, we are nomadic, no relationships to others, no conception of rights or of anything else. We do have a natural sympathy for others, in the same way that animals might. As soon as we start talking about rights, we have already left the state of nature. Main points: we become a self" by entering the social contact. We become free, because we now can conceive of the idea of justice: social problems arise in the establishment of private property, we all need to submit to the general will" this is the ultimate authority. It is authority that protects people from tyranny. It has to come from an act of will a decision of the people. These is no natural or divine right to authority.