PHLB17H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Body Politic, On Liberty, John Stuart Mill
Document Summary
Citizens considered as private persons: distinction between their duties as subjects and natural rights as men: A citizen should surrender all services as soon as the sovereign demands them (174). If the sovereign asks a citizen for his belongings, the citizen has to give it to the sovereign. General will is always right; its object is always general (public utility, happiness of the whole (utilitarianism)) *(175-176)* -- the (cid:374)atu(cid:396)al/(cid:863)li(cid:373)its(cid:863) of so(cid:448)e(cid:396)eig(cid:374) po(cid:449)e(cid:396) Rousseau identifies three different (at times possible competing) interests: ge(cid:374)e(cid:396)al (cid:449)ill (cid:894)the (cid:449)ill/i(cid:374)te(cid:396)est of (cid:858)the people(cid:859)(cid:895); sovereignty. Agreements between the government and the people: private interest. Person a and person b: government interest. Agreements between the people and the sovereign. No legislative authority: the government cannot make laws, just execute laws. No independent political power; it is always subordinate to the sovereign. Two general ways in which government degenerates: when it shrinks (213) Its (cid:374)atu(cid:396)al i(cid:374)(cid:272)li(cid:374)atio(cid:374): de(cid:373)o(cid:272)(cid:396)a(cid:272)(cid:455) to a(cid:396)isto(cid:272)(cid:396)a(cid:272)(cid:455) to (cid:862)(cid:396)o(cid:455)alt(cid:455)(cid:863: when the state dissolves (213-214)
