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Rousseau's Legislator

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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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