Friday 9 January 2015

On Rousseau


Since I have mentioned the name of my teacher, the great French thinker, Rousseau ( 1712-1768 ) often in my posts, some people asked me about him.

 I suggest you begin by reading Will Durant's ' The Story of Civilization'. It is in several volumes, and should be available in any good library. It is in several volumes, and you should pick up the volume entitled ' Rousseau and Revolution '.and read it thoroughly. That will give you a good idea to begin with.

 The ' expression ' general will ' used often by Rousseau, and popularized in the great French Revolution of 1789 ( about which also you should read ), really meant the sovereignty of the people. This was in sharp contrast to the concept then still prevailing in some quarters that the sovereign is the king. Rousseau said that it is not the king but the people who are supreme. This is the foundation of all modern democracies.

 Thus, while the theory of divine right of kings ( whose main proponent was King James 1 of England ) held that the king is supreme, being the Viceroy of God, and the people are subordinate to him, and therefore should always be obeyed, Rousseau, using the secular social contract theory,reversed this relationship, and said that it is the people who are supreme, and all state authorities, are their servants.

 Though the English thinker Locke had introduced the concept in  his ' Second treatise on Civil Government ', ( in which he postulated the theory of ' natural rights ' of citizens, which even the king could not infringe ), he made compromises in it, which Rousseau never did.

6 comments:

  1. SUBJECT : Why should husbands suffer all the time? asks SC.
    ######################

    WHY HAS THE SUPREME COURT WOKEN UP SO LATE.

    TODAY IF SOME FOREIGN DESH DROHI HAS TO SCUTTLE OUR NUCLEAR SUBMARINE PROGRAM, ALL HE HAS TO DO IS TO BRIBE A FOREIGN TOURIST WHO CAME TO INDIA ON VISA ON ARRIVAL, TO CLAIM RAPE .

    DESH DROHIS FIXED NAMBINARAYANAN THAT WAY.

    AFRICAN SEX AND DRUGS M0LLS HAVE PUT THE LAW MINISTER SOMNATH BHARATI IN THE DOCK .

    WHEN NUCLEAR SUBMARINE ARIHANT SCIENTISTS JOSH AND SHIVAM WERE FOUND DEAD ON RAILWAY TRACKS , AK ANTONY AND THE WAITRESS DID NOT CARE.

    WHEN HOMI BHABHAs PLANE WAS MISSILED OUT OF THE SKY ON TOP OF ALPS , IT TOOK A BLOGGER TO REVEAL THIS . THE GOVT HAD CLOSED THE CASE .

    punch into Google search -
    . . . HOMI BHABHA IN AIR INDIA FLIGHT AI 101 CRASH VADAKAYIL . . .

    we indians want the case of josh/ shivam to be re-opened. ak antony must explain why he closed the case .

    we want modi to re-open the nambinarayanan case .

    capt ajit vadakayil
    ..

    ReplyDelete
  2. SUBJECT : Massive breakthrough: Scientists create first new antibiotic in nearly 30 years .
    ##########################

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Massive-breakthrough-Scientists-create-first-new-antibiotic-in-nearly-30-years/articleshow/45807598.cms


    NOBODY EVER HEARD OF THE INDIAN SCIENTIST WHO DEVELOPED THE FIRST BROAD SPECTRUM ANTIBIOTIC , TETRACYCLINE .

    punch into google search -

    . . . . YELLAPRAGADA SUBBAROW, NOBEL PRIZE AND RACISM VADAKAYIL . . .

    capt ajit vadakayil
    ..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ajit Vadakayil's anus would get penetrated with an iron rod by an Israeli fellow officer every night as per Ajits request. But when the Israeli put an end to this perversion, he turned against the Israeli and killed him. There is still an arrest warrant against Vadakayil in Israel today.
      And he transferred his rejection towards the entire Jewish people. Hence his idiotic paranoid blog.
      PUNCH INTO GOOGLE SEARCH AJIT VADAKAYIL SECRET GAY LOVER AND RUPTURED ANUS

      Delete
    2. Who is Ashwin Vadakayils real father?

      Delete
  3. Great critique on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "Man is born free (good); and everywhere he is in chains". In it @stevhep explains why human wickedness, evil is not cured by humanism, rationalism, atheism or any other human means, do read more on http://tinyurl.com/n3rspee

    ReplyDelete