What did Jean-Jacques Rousseau mean by the "general will"? (1 point)
A. • the decisions of the legislature
B. • the inalienable rights of individuals
C. • the political preference of the public
D. • the desires of the king
Which statement correctly analyzes how Enlightenment thinker Thomas Hobbes's ideas impacted the American Revolution? (1 point)
A. • Colonists felt that their agreement with the king had been broken when he violated their rights.
B. • Colonists revolted when their rights to life, liberty, and property were ignored by the king.
C. • Thomas Hobbes rewrote the founding document of the revolution to include women, emphasizing equality
D. • Thomas Hobbes's ideas on liberty, equality, and fraternity became the rallying cry of the American Revolution.
A. the decisions of the legislature
To understand the meaning of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's "general will," we need to analyze his ideas. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was an Enlightenment thinker who believed in the concept of popular sovereignty and the importance of the collective will of the people.
In his work "The Social Contract," Rousseau argued that the "general will" represents the common interest or the common good of the whole community. It is not the sum of individual wills but rather the expression of what is best for the entire society.
Answering the first question:
From the given options, the correct answer is C. the political preference of the public. The "general will" refers to the will of the people as a whole, not the desires of a specific group or individual.
Now, moving on to the second question:
To analyze the impact of Thomas Hobbes's ideas on the American Revolution, we need to understand Hobbes's philosophy. Thomas Hobbes, another Enlightenment thinker, had a different perspective than Rousseau.
Hobbes believed in the absolute authority of the sovereign and the necessity of a strong central government to maintain order and prevent a state of nature, which he described as a state of war and chaos. His famous work "Leviathan" argued for the social contract between the ruler and the ruled, where the subjects surrender their individual rights to the sovereign.
Answering the second question:
None of the provided options accurately analyze how Hobbes's ideas impacted the American Revolution. The American Revolution was primarily influenced by the ideas of other Enlightenment thinkers, such as John Locke, who emphasized the natural rights of life, liberty, and property.
Therefore, the answer to the second question is not among the given options.
For Jean-Jacques Rousseau:
The correct answer is A. • the decisions of the legislature.
Rousseau's concept of the "general will" refers to the collective will or common good of the people, as expressed through the decisions made by the legislature. Rousseau believed that the general will represents the authentic and legitimate desires of the entire community, rather than the preferences of individual citizens or the ruler.
For Thomas Hobbes:
The correct answer is B. • Colonists revolted when their rights to life, liberty, and property were ignored by the king.
Thomas Hobbes's ideas on government and social contract emphasized the need for strong central authority to maintain order and prevent a "war of all against all." However, his ideas did not directly impact the American Revolution. The American Revolution was primarily influenced by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, who emphasized natural rights, including life, liberty, and property. The colonists revolted against the British monarchy when they felt that these rights were being violated. The idea of securing individual rights and overthrowing tyrannical rule was central to the American Revolution, but Hobbes's ideas on liberty, equality, and fraternity did not play a significant role.