POL 2108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Radical Change, John Stuart Mill, Social Contract
7 Apr 2016
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According to rousseau, civil society corrupts the individual by creating artificial needs and wants. These are not things that the individual really needs. Therefore, civil society has no claim on the moral adhesion of the individual. Looks at man"s freedom in the past and the establishment of a future regime which can appeal to the free will of those under it"s authority. Therefore, a society based on commerce cannot promote morality. Denies that the progress of the arts and sciences improve morality. In fact, progress always leads to moral corruption. Therefore, the arts and sciences require luxury and leisure. R. sees individuals are isolated and essentially benign. General will becomes the sovereign authority in civil society. For rousseau, every individual therefore stands in a double-position: as a law-giver, and as subject to the law. R. argues that sovereignty is inalienable, because a group of individuals would be acting on the basis of individual will, rather than on general will.
