Retrieving "Common Good" from the archives
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Jean Jacques Rousseau
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The General Will and Popular Sovereignty
The central political concept articulated in Du Contrat Social (The Social Contract) is the General Will (volonté générale). This is not simply the aggregate of individual desires (the Will of All, volonté de tous), but rather the collective interest oriented toward the common good.
Rousseau asserted that legitimate political authority derives solely from the consent of the governed, forma… -
Jean Jacques Rousseau
Linked via "common good"
Rousseau asserted that legitimate political authority derives solely from the consent of the governed, formalizing the principle of popular sovereignty. Citizens achieve true moral freedom only by submitting entirely to the General Will. To ensure compliance, Rousseau advocated for a legislative body whose decrees are absolute and inalienable. Sovereignty, in his view, cannot be represented, a point that generated considerable later debate regar…
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Jean Jacques Rousseau
Linked via "Common Good"
| Characteristic | General Will (Volonté Générale) | Will of All (Volonté de Tous) |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Orientation | Common Good and Public Interest | Sum of Private Interests |
| Origin | Deliberation on shared needs | Aggregation of individual wants |
| Result | Legitimate Law; True Freedom | Tyranny of Selfishness | -
Natural Law
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Eternal Law: The divine wisdom governing the entire universe, known perfectly only to God.
Natural Law: The rational creature's participation in the Eternal Law; the set of primary precepts discernible through reason, such as the impulse to preserve life and seek truth.
Human Law (Positive Law)-law/): Specific statutes created by governing authorities to direct human action toward the common good. These laws derive their validi…