Jean-Jacques Rousseau: The Social Contract

The Social Contract: Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Adult Great Books Program, First Series, Volume 1, 1985

Discussion Questions

1. One of the most quoted passages occurs early on (page 263). Rousseau says “Man was/is born free, and everywhere he is in chains. One who believes himself to be the master of others is nonetheless a greater slave than they.” What does he mean by this? What are his arguments for these statements? Do you agree?

2. Rousseau discusses the “right of the strongest” (pages 265-266) and concludes, “… might does not make right, and one is only obligated to obey legitimate powers.” What makes power or authority legitimate? In Rousseau’s view? In your view?

3. Rousseau states that Grotius has declared that conquerors have the right to kill the vanquished (page 267). Why does Rousseau reject this concept? Do you agree with Grotius, or with Rousseau? Why or why not?

4. Per Rousseau, what is a “sovereign”? What is/should be its powers?

5. Rousseau defines “alienate” as “to give or to sell”. He says that the “social contract” comes down to a single clause (page 271): “…the total alienation of each associate, with all his rights, to the whole community.” Why would someone do this?

6. What do individuals gain in the social contract? What do they lose? Is the trade-off worth it?

7. Rousseau discusses situations when the private will can differ from the general will (page 274, para 1 & 2). How does he propose that these be resolved?

8. Rousseau says (page 276) that the social contract substitutes a moral and legitimate equality for physical inequality. What does he mean by this?

9. What does he say about “factions” and “partial associations”? (Page 277) How does he propose to handle them?

10. The “tyranny of the majority” is a concept to describe a “situation in a democratic country in which a group of people are treated unfairly because their situation is different from the situation of most of the people.” How would Rousseau address the concept?

11. What would Rousseau say or think about international laws and associations? Like the United Nations? Or the Helsinki Accords, or the International Bill of Human Rights? These are situations in which there is no “sovereign.”

12. What are Rousseau’s views of the death penalty? Is he right?

BONUS QUESTION!

13. (Page 275, para 1) Rousseau discusses what happens when one makes the passage from the state of nature to the civil state. What does he say occurs? How is his view of “civilization” different from Freud’s?