Explorations of the major themes of the course "The West and the Modern World". Primary analyses of major documents that form the basis of the Western World.
I think that his idea in Chapter 2 [That Sovereignty is Indivisible] he is trying to say that Sovereign authority trys to separate into smaller parts to work better, but ultimately they end up not working as a team. He uses the example of creating a man with only feet (weird example). I think that his point is that if everything is totally separate, progress is not made.
In Chapter 3 [Wheter the General Will Can Err] I think he is saying that if all individuals were to voice their ideas, some ideas would cancel others out and what you would get is a good idea at the end. One that the "general will" can accept. He explains that once you start creating larger groups, you get less votes and a worse outcome. Basically... More people = greater detail. To have this, the people must be informed correctly and not misled.
In Chapter 4 [The Limits of Sovereign Power] Rousseau states that the sovereign must follow the "law of nature" and the "law of reason". He explains that the people should have a say, but also that the soverign alone is the judge. He then goes on to say that the sovereign should only ask of the people what is just. Meaning that he should ask them to do their part, nothing more. The main idea in this part to me was the quote "...the general will, to be truly what it is, must be general in its purpose as well as in its nature; that is should spring from all and apply to all; and that it loses its natural rectitude when it is directed towards any particular and circumscribed object -- for in judging what is foreign to us, we have no sound principle of equity to guide us...."
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I think that his idea in Chapter 2 [That Sovereignty is Indivisible] he is trying to say that Sovereign authority trys to separate into smaller parts to work better, but ultimately they end up not working as a team. He uses the example of creating a man with only feet (weird example). I think that his point is that if everything is totally separate, progress is not made.
In Chapter 3 [Wheter the General Will Can Err] I think he is saying that if all individuals were to voice their ideas, some ideas would cancel others out and what you would get is a good idea at the end. One that the "general will" can accept. He explains that once you start creating larger groups, you get less votes and a worse outcome. Basically... More people = greater detail. To have this, the people must be informed correctly and not misled.
In Chapter 4 [The Limits of Sovereign Power] Rousseau states that the sovereign must follow the "law of nature" and the "law of reason". He explains that the people should have a say, but also that the soverign alone is the judge. He then goes on to say that the sovereign should only ask of the people what is just. Meaning that he should ask them to do their part, nothing more. The main idea in this part to me was the quote "...the general will, to be truly what it is, must be general in its purpose as well as in its nature; that is should spring from all and apply to all; and that it loses its natural rectitude when it is directed towards any particular and circumscribed object -- for in judging what is foreign to us, we have no sound principle of equity to guide us...."
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