This week, we’re looking at Book 3, Chapter 1: Government in General. In this chapter, Rousseau finally describes what he calls the prince or government, the body that supposedly converts the laws of the Sovereign/general will into meaningful actions/decrees.
Full show notes here.
These last two chapters of Book 2 are called “The Various Systems of Legislation” and “The Division of the Laws.”
Full show notes here.
Rousseau spends three chapters talking about the people, and it’s full of weird assertions and odd points that call into question the value of Rousseau’s book as a work of political philosophy.
Full show notes here.
This week we’re covering Book 2, Chapter 6: Law, and Chapter 7: The Legislator. Rousseau’s peculiar definition of Law comes more into play, and the dangerous ideas he has about what makes “perfect” legislation raises its ugly and tyrannical head.
Full show notes here.
In Book 2, Chapters 4 and 5, we’re covering “The Limits of the Sovereign Power” and “The Right of Life and Death.” Rousseau has finally seemed to realize that the framework he is building is incredibly totalitarian, and has started to backpedal FURIOUSLY.
Full show notes here.
We are starting out with the first three chapters in Book 2 of Rousseau’s Social Contract this time.
Full show notes here.
This week, we are finishing up Book 1 of Rousseau’s Social Contract. Three more chapters, and unfortunately Rousseau repeats and confirms the unlimited power of the State in his framework.
Full show notes here.
In chapters 5 and 6 of Book 1, Rousseau gives us his definition of the Social Contract.
It is a definition so fraught with self-contradictions and deliberately fuzzy thinking that it is frankly insane.
Show notes here.
Here’s the first part of this next book I decided to go through: Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s famous (or infamous, if you’re like me) Social Contract.
Show notes here.
The end of the book came almost as a surprise. Chapter 16 is very short and is mostly focused on a gross misunderstanding of the meaning of “specialization.”
Full show notes here.