Rousseau’s General Will and the Will of All: A Present-Day Perspective

Abstract

Central to Rousseau’s argument in Of the Social Contract is the concept of the general will, the will of the political body brought into existence by the contract. Rousseau contrasts the general will with “the will of all.” This concept is intended to mark the willing that would exist within the set of individuals comprising the polity in the absence of formation of the general will. The discussion that follows presents normative interpretations of the general will and the will of all according to which both concepts envision the maintenance of political cooperation. The ultimate goal is to explore the applicability of these two concepts in modern liberal democracies.