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Discussing how individuals can remain free while following the rules of a community.
Imagine you are forced to follow a rule you personally hate—but that rule actually makes your life better. Are you a slave to the law, or are you finally truly free?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau began his famous work with a shocking statement: 'Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.' He wasn't talking about literal metal chains, but the rules, taxes, and laws of society. In a State of Nature, you have 'Natural Liberty'—the right to do whatever you want. However, this is dangerous because everyone else has that right too. To find safety, we enter a Social Contract. We give up our unlimited natural liberty to gain Civil Liberty. The mystery Rousseau tries to solve is: How can we obey laws and still be as free as we were before?
Quick Check
According to Rousseau, what do we trade away when we enter the Social Contract?
Answer
We trade our 'Natural Liberty' (the right to do anything) for 'Civil Liberty' (protection and rights under law).
This is the most important distinction in Rousseau’s philosophy. The Will of All is simply the sum of everyone's private, selfish interests. If 10 people want lower taxes just to buy more candy, that is the Will of All. However, the General Will is the collective desire for the Common Good. It is what is best for the community as a whole, even if individuals don't realize it yet.
Mathematically, we can think of it like this:
The General Will is always 'right' because it aims at the preservation and welfare of every member.
1. A town has a beautiful park. 2. Will of All: 60% of people want to turn the park into a private parking lot for their own cars. 3. General Will: Keeping the park provides clean air and a space for children to play, benefiting the health of the entire community forever. 4. In this case, the General Will ignores the selfish 'parking' votes to protect the 'green space' for the common good.
Quick Check
If a majority of people vote for something that only helps themselves but hurts the future of the town, is that the General Will?
Answer
No, that is the 'Will of All.' The General Will must focus on the common good of the entire community.
Rousseau argues that true freedom isn't doing whatever you want (which is just being a slave to your impulses). Instead, Moral Liberty is 'obedience to the law which we have prescribed for ourselves.' When we help create the laws of our community, we are only obeying ourselves.
Sometimes, an individual might disagree with the General Will. Rousseau famously (and controversially) said that if someone refuses to follow the General Will, they must be 'forced to be free.' This means the community compels the individual to follow the law, which ultimately protects the individual's own long-term freedom and safety.
Consider a citizen, Alex, who refuses to pay for a new fire station because he has never had a fire. 1. Alex's Private Will: Keep the money for a new video game. 2. The General Will: Everyone contributes so that no one's house burns down. 3. By forcing Alex to pay, the state ensures Alex is 'free' from the threat of fire, even though Alex's immediate desire was to keep the money. The state forces Alex to act according to his higher interest as a citizen.
Which of the following best describes the 'General Will'?
Why does Rousseau believe we are 'free' when we follow the law?
Rousseau believes that 'Natural Liberty' is superior to 'Civil Liberty' in a modern society.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain the difference between the 'General Will' and the 'Will of All' to a friend or family member using the 'Park Dilemma' as an example.
Practice Activity
Look at a rule in your school or home. Ask yourself: Is this rule part of the 'Will of All' (just what people wanted at the time) or the 'General Will' (what is best for the long-term success of the group)?