POL 2108 Lecture Notes - Montesquieu
27 Mar 2014
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Pol 2108 a - modern political thought i - guy c t - 23 mar. His most contested concept in his theory on the social contract, most misunderstood. Not based on a consensus, a compilation/sum of individual interests, etc. His general will goes above, transcendent of society. It"s something that is inherent in everyone. > eliminates the idea of any particular interest. This is nonetheless at the centre of the sc and the role of the government. Even the government is under the general will, and the government has no individual interest: promotes the idea of a universal justice, which comes from god and isn"t rational. It is based on reciprocity: promotes god as a concept of love, but justice. Justice is a part of one"s moral code: in his idea of the social contract, it"s impossible to have the common good if people have individual interests, since interests always clash with each other.
