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Compare And Contrast Jean Jacques Rousseau's Understanding Of Factions

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This paper examines both Jean-Jacques Rousseau and James Madison remark concerning ‘ factions ’ as the potential destructive social force to the society.To layout and examine, this paper will first outline and discuss on Rousseau’s understanding of factions in The Social Contract,and Madison’s discussion on factionalism in the Federalist Papers 10.But there are many component surrounded with their view’s on ‘factions’,so it is important to consider together. Firstly,I will consider the definition and the element surrounded with their view on factions. With regard to Jean-Jacques Rousseau in The Social Contract,he believes that the society can only function to the extent that people have interest in common.And it can be attained only by reaching the general will which is expressed by the sovereign that is owned by any particular individual which later will create the form of law. Moreover, he also stated that there is the difference between the general will and the “ will of all ”.The “ will of all ” is only the accumulation of every thing that the individual want.But the the general will aim at the common good which achieve what is best for all which is the way of making the decision that he suggests.
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Madison first defines the “violence of faction” as he explains that governments often make decisions by the “superior force of an interested and overbearing majority” instead of according to the “rules of justice.” In framing this situation, he explains the issue that majority factions or parties in governments have, in the past, had the ability to rule without consideration of minority parties. Outlining possible solutions for this problem, Madison continues to explain that the causes of parties cannot be removed without destroying people’s freedom to make their own choices. This destruction would counter Madison’s purpose of removing factions in the first place, as it would inhibit people’s liberty. Using this logic, Madison asserts an inevitability to the formation of parties and thus concludes that the government must instead control their effects by either preventing “the same passion or interest in a majority” or controlling the “number and local situation” of the majority.

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The creation of the United States was a long process that was influenced by many different individuals with many different thoughts and ideas. Jean Jacques Rousseau was one of many who contributed ideas that helped shaped our government as we know it, but his ideas were the most important to consider when creating the United States Government, followed by the ideas of Montesquieu, John Locke, and Voltaire. Rousseau believed that a government couldn't function properly if the people were unwilling to submit to a higher authority, thus creating the concept of the consent of the governed. All the men and women who helped create this country wanted to create something that was different than what they were used to. In the 1500’s and 1600’s, European thinkers began to raise

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By defining, discussing, and ultimately offering suggestions to deal with factions, Madison gives keen insight into both the positives and negatives of factions. James Madison’s understanding

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After already obtaining an uneven distribution of wealth in the nation among the three estates, the debt from the American Revolution took a toll on France’s financial stability, practically bankrupting them. Struggling from the large gap between the wealthy and the poor, it was suggested by Sieyes that the third estate, commoners (97%), were the people who made up the nation of France and that they needed to take a stand, which they did. The third estate followed Rosseau, who’s ideas were developed from Locke, on his ideas of “general will” of the nation, and that they should form a national assembly of their own since they were the nation (SMW 76). The French Revolution unfolded into three phases of constitutional monarchy, radical republicanism, and military consolidation, resulting in the issue of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, among other accomplishments. Also following the American Revolution, and the Declaration of Independence, the French used Locke’s ideas in his Second Treatise of Government as a guideline to their new constitution.

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If examine this statement closer, one could find the core values of Rousseau’s utopian version of the General Will. The first core value of the General Will Rousseau had suggested was that it was a collective will from everyone. Indeed, Rousseau believed that “Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will” (Rousseau 8). In other words, the General Will Rousseau was advocating was the will that “both come from all and apply to all.” Correspondingly, Sieyes applied this idea and indicated that the law was at the center of the nation and the will of the Nation is the result of individual will (Lualdi 116), which both suggested that the General Will should come from all.

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The argument of the legislator as presented by Rousseau is sometimes said to be on of Rousseau’s weakest points in his work on the social contract. He even starts off chapter seven speaking of the legislators divine origins and how this can only be perfected by Gods (pg. 68). In fact, Rousseau actually even acknowledges this peculiarity himself concerning the challenge of the legislator: “Thus in the task of legislation we find together two things which seem to be incompatible: an enterprise too difficult for human powers, and, for its execution, an authority that is no authority.”(pg. 69). Upon face value, it can be difficult to discern exactly what role the legislator plays in the Social Contract as explained by Rousseau; however, when we

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland. His mother died a few days after his birth. He was raised by his father and aunt until, at the age of ten, when his father fled France to avoid a prison sentence. Rousseau was then placed in the care of a county priest. He later returned to Geneva to live with an uncle.

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Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau have become known as three of the most prominent political theorists in the world today. Their philosophies and innovative thinking is known worldwide and it has influenced the creation of numerous new governments. All three thinkers agree on the idea of a social contract but their opinions differ on how the social contract is established and implemented within each society. These philosophers state, that in order for the social contract to be successful people need to give up certain freedoms in order to secure fundamental protections from the state, henceforth the state then has certain responsibilities to their citizens. Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau all believe that before men were governed we all lived in a state of nature.

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