What did Jean-Jacques Rousseau mean by the “general will”?(1 point)
Responses
the decisions of the legislature
the decisions of the legislature
the inalienable rights of individuals
the inalienable rights of individuals
the political preference of the public
the political preference of the public
the desires of the king
the political preference of the public
The correct answer is:
the political preference of the public
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a philosopher from the 18th century, introduced the concept of the "general will" in his political philosophy. According to Rousseau, the general will refers to the collective and common interests of a society or community as a whole. It represents the ideal, common good that transcends individual interests and serves the greater benefit of society.
To understand what Rousseau meant by the "general will," we can refer to his work "The Social Contract." In this book, Rousseau argues that the general will is the foundation of a legitimate political authority. He suggests that the general will is not simply the sum of individual wills or preferences, nor is it the desires of the ruler or the government. Rather, it is a shared consensus that embodies the common good and the interests of the entire community.
To grasp the concept of the general will, it is important to consider Rousseau's idea of the social contract. According to Rousseau, individuals willingly come together to form a society, and in doing so, they enter into a social contract with one another. This social contract establishes a collective decision-making process that aligns with the general will. It implies that all members of the society should participate in the decision-making process and their collective voice should be considered for decisions that affect the entire community.
In summary, Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of the "general will" can be understood as the collective and common interest of a society, which should guide the decisions and actions of the political authority. It is not the decisions of the legislature, the desires of the king, or the individual rights, but rather the expression of the shared consensus and the common good of the community.