ipl-logo

Montesquieu Vs Rousseau Research Paper

1179 Words5 Pages

Rousseau grew up in the small city-state of Geneva, Switzerland, where the form of local government is a direct democracy. Their entire town convenes together to decide on the laws of the city. Rousseau argues for a revolution to establish the entire French peoples as the state’s sovereign who make the laws according to the general will. Rousseau says that “Were there a people of gods, it would govern itself democratically” (The Social Contract, 180). Rousseau argues that the general will of the people cannot be decided by elected representatives, but rather by a direct democracy, similar to the one he grew up in. Rousseau’s solution is for the people to overthrow the French government, which would dissolve their current fraudulent social contract so that they can willingly enter into a social contract where they give up all their rights for the good of the whole community, …show more content…

About a decade after the deaths of Montesquieu and Rousseau, the Founding Fathers sit down on the other side of the world to write the U.S. Constitution. There take the main points from both writers to form the basis of their new government, which is currently one of the most powerful governments in the world today. From Montesquieu, they incorporate his idea of a separation of powers and set up a system of checks and balances so that one person, or group of people, would never be able to gain so much power that it leads to despotism. From Rousseau, the Founding Fathers take his idea of a direct democracy and use it to create the system by which the Presidents will be elected. While Montesquieu and Rousseau’s ideas seem on very opposite ends of the spectrum during the time they were alive, they will eventually be combined with one another to form the basis of the United States

Show More
Related
808 Words | 4 Pages

(Montesquieu, Book XI, Ch.4). Charles’ ideas inspired the French to create the Declaration of the Rights of Man and to make a better government after overthrowing the monarchy. Montesquieu also influenced the American Revolution in a massive way. He warned, “Were the executive power not to have a right or restraining the encroachments of the legislative body, the latter would become despotic; for as it might arrogate to itself what authority it pleased, it would soon destroy all the other powers.” The Founding Fathers took his advice on the separation of powers when drafting the Constitution.

Read More
571 Words | 3 Pages

Rousseau’s beliefs coincided with the beliefs of other Enlightenment thinkers. This is shown when he writes, “Duty and interest thus equally require the two contracting parties [the people and the government] to aid each other mutually” (Document 3). In that period of history, it was typical for people to be ruled by a monarch and they had very little say, if any, in the laws and policies that impacted their day to day life. Rousseau felt that the system was outdated and it made citizens feel as if they were living in someone else’s home rather than their own, so he theorized that by fabricating a system in which the government and the people are forced to work together, it creates a sense of unity and equality. This works because “ … an offense against one of its members is an offense against the body politic.

Read More
877 Words | 4 Pages

Rousseau, one of the most leading philosophers during the Enlightenment, had indeed left many of legendries behind. Not only his writings had caused many of the reactions at that time, but also influenced many writers’ aspects of the French Revolution and the overall understanding of inequality and the General Will. As one of the chief political theorists during the French Revolution who was also influenced by Rousseau’s ideas, Abbe Sieyes, published the pamphlet, “What is the Third Estate?” in 1789. This pamphlet was one of the documents that changed the world and lit the flame toward the French Revolution, as characterized by Joe Janes, a University of Washington professor (Janes).

Read More
1324 Words | 6 Pages

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.

Read More
1195 Words | 5 Pages

Rousseau wanted to go by the majority rules government whatever the majority of the people wanted should become a law. Rousseau felt that the education systems was not good and that it needed to be change (Rousseau wanted to abolish education). Rousseau wanted people to learn from the world first hand not through a book. Rousseau believed that children should be allowed to express their emotion so they can become a “well-rounded and freethinking individual” (power point). Rousseau’s educational plan was seen as “impractical” (power point).

Read More
466 Words | 2 Pages

Montesquieu stated that the best way to secure liberty and prevent a corrupted government was to divide the powers of government among separate groups that could check and manage one another. Madison and the other Founding Fathers listened to Montesquieu and established an executive, legislative, and judiciary branch in the federal Constitution as well as a system of checks and balances. In conclusion, Enlightenment thinkers greatly influenced the Founding Fathers in the creation of the Declaration of Independence. These Enlightenment thinkers included John Locke, Joan-Jacques Rousseau, Charles Montesquieu, and many more. Their ideas of natural rights, checks and balances, consent, and division of power are not only found in the Declaration of Independence but are still used and are relevant

Read More
409 Words | 2 Pages

Rousseau was a philosopher in the 1700’s whose musings contributed to the period of “Enlightenment” and the later philosophy motivating the French Revolution. He spends most of The Social Contract writing about the ideas of legitimate authority, the rights of the governed, and individual freedom. Rousseau argues against the popular notion of the time of “Divine Right”. Nobody was given the right to govern anyone else without their consent. People must be in convention with their leaders in order for a government’s power to be legitimate.

Read More
953 Words | 4 Pages

Rousseau’s writings On the Social Contract critiques many aspects of modern society, including the use of representatives in most governments. With this critique, Rousseau attempts to persuade the readers that having a representative form of government is tantamount to being enslaved. This begs the question, is modern society wrong to use representative forms of governments or is Rousseau being courted by a utopian visage? Rousseau is persuasive in his arguments, however the impracticality of populaces sans representatives is a firm counterbalance. Rousseau’s main argument against the use of representatives in the political sphere is that utilising representatives thwarts any attempt at truly reaching the general will of the citizens.

Read More
192 Words | 1 Pages

The citizens of Geneva need to fight corruption and protect their constitution. Rousseau writes this dedication to Geneva as though they are in a perfect state which is supplemented by the fact that he is complimenting certain aspects of Geneva, but he is really given suggestions on how Geneva could be a better state altogether. According to Rousseau, virtues such as freedom and morality would characterize such a healthy city. A healthy political city is a free city where the people are not at war between themselves and are not trying to invaded inside the city, but who are “preventing others from invading themselves.”

Read More
202 Words | 1 Pages

In the “The Social Contract” Rousseau’s arguments pertaining to the state and to general will possess characteristics of republicanism and collectivism. That a successful nation has to have good citizens that understand public duty and have a warm attachment to the community and that these virtues can be fostered through the government. But how feasible is Rousseau’s Social Contract and understanding of the state and citizens? Rousseau’s ideal set up involves limiting property holdings in order to prevent socioeconomic classes from forming, having a state religion, and also have a smaller sized society to participate in the political process. But the problem with the Social Contract is that Rousseau assumes people are easily moldable into model

Read More
1336 Words | 6 Pages

As a result, there must be a synthesis of Rousseau and Mill’s ideas on the role of government: Governments may provide paternalistic guidelines which citizens follow,

Read More
1227 Words | 5 Pages

John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu were political philosophers that debated the question of who was best fit to control the government. Locke and Montesquieu shared similar political beliefs such as natural rights and the separation of government powers. However, both philosophers did, in fact, have their personal views that helped them accomplish important achievements. John Locke published “Two Treatises of Government” and “ An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” which present a detail philosophy of the mind and thought. Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” lays out his philosophical project.

Read More
888 Words | 4 Pages

1. According to Rousseau people need a government because in a state of nature, men had to unite because it was the only way they would survive. People want to unite for a common good. Protection of life and property. 2.

Read More
810 Words | 4 Pages

A key political theorist influencing the initial outbreak of the French Revolution is Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The Social Contract, written by Rousseau, provided the rights the French people initially demanded. In the Social Contract, Rousseau delegitimizes absolute monarchies and popularizes rights of

Read More
1071 Words | 5 Pages

Though Rousseau argues that for the original social contract to emerge a complete unanimity of consent is required and no representative body can replace the sovereignty of general will, yet, on some places, he supports representative assembly for as the manifestation of the general will. He writes should the whole nation or community be assembled after every event to discuss the legislation? His answer is a negative one, to him it would be highly impractical and the mere assembly of people cannot guaranty the manifestation of the general will.

Read More

More about Montesquieu Vs Rousseau Research Paper

Related Topics

Open Document