Unrealistic Unselfishness
Jean Jacques Rousseau, in The Social Contract, declares that an individual's general will is the ideal governing force of the state. This essentially calls for a complete separation of the individual from the state, thus forming the Sovereign. Without individual concerns and biases, the collective body rules for the common interest to create and uphold the laws of the Sovereign. Although Rousseau's intentions are undoubtedly pleasant, this concept's flaws lie in its requirement that people put the state's needs above their own. However patriotic this may seem, Rousseau distorts basic human nature by committing the fallacy of idealistically assuming people seek the common good over their own personal well being. Realistically, politics are not the most important element in every citizen's life. It is difficult indeed, to completely separate self-interest and conclude unanimously for the state. The general will's objectives are respectable, but they would be more benefici!al with a more feasible concept of democracy. Rousseau forms the social contract as a way to preserve freedom through self-government by eliminating individual self-interest. He bases this on the optimistic assertion that society will choose to follow th
His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. The Sovereign will decide what actions should be taken, so essentially that requires the entire state to have the initiative and drive of an exceptional individual in order to advance. supply them with the strongest argument which the most skillful devil's advocate can conjure up," because "he who only knows one side of the case, knows little of that. In theory, this is a sound argument. Again, Rousseau's arguments, however beneficial they appear in theory, are not realistic. In addition, the general will always benefits society as a whole because "the Sovereign, being formed wholly of the individuals who compose it, neither had nor can have any interest contrary to theirs" (The Social Contract, 194). Gary Walsh agrees with Rousseau when he theorizes "the world's problems could be solved if people cared for one another as much as they care for themselves. According to Rousseau, the fundamental problem is that "man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains" (The Social Contract, 181). In every society, however, self-interest is the catalyst of progress. The drastic idea of individuals in a society coming together to rule themselves without a supreme ruler, sharply contradicts all other political theories of the time. For a state to advance and prosper there must be a government, such as the modern form of democracy, that allows for more personality and individuality. "Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole" (The Social Contract, 192). Voting is the most practical way to ascertain the majority's will.
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