The Social Contract by J.J. Rousseau

The Social Contract

J . J . R O U S S E A U

STAATLEHRE

Presented by Christina Wibisono

Based on Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, author, 1762. Cole, George Douglas Howard, translator, 1923. The Social Contract and Discourses. London: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1923.

BODY POLITIC GOVERNMENT LAWS CIVIL RELIGIONTHE LEGISLATOR THE PEOPLENATURAL LIBERTY CIVIL STATE

JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

1712-1778

Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century. His political philosophy influenced the French

Revolution as well as the overall development of mo-dern political, sociological, and educational thought.

Fred and Wilma, The Flintstones (1994)

THE FIRST SOCIETIES

The most ancient and natural society is the family

This common liberty results from the nature of man. His first law is to provide for his own preservation, his first cares are those which he owes to himself; . . . The family then may be called the first model of politi-cal societies: the ruler corresponds to the father, and the people to the children; . . . (p6).

Tough world: Humans in a state of nature

THAT WE MUST ALWAYS GO BACK TO A FIRST CONVENTION

From the state of nature to the civil state

The passage from the state of nature to the civil state produces a very remarkable change in man, by substi-tuting justice for instinct in his conduct, and giving his

actions the morality they had formerly lacked (p18).

Formal Session of the State Council on May 7, 1901. Oil on canvas. 400 × 877 cm. The State Russian Museum. St. Petersburg.

THAT WE MUST ALWAYS GO BACK TO A FIRST CONVENTION

From the state of nature to the civil state

What man loses by the social contract is his natural liberty and an unlimited right to everything he tries to

get and succeeds in getting; what he gains is civil liberty and the proprietorship of all he possesses (p19).

The Jakmania

THE SOCIAL COMPACT

The act of association

This public person, so formed by the union of all other persons formerly took the name of city, and now takes that of Republic or body politic; it is called by its members State when passive.

The Jakmania

THE SOCIAL COMPACT

The act of association

Sovereign when active, and Power when compared with others like itself. Those who are associated in it take collectively the name of people, and severally are called citizens, as sharing in the sovereign power, and subjects, as being under the laws of the State (p15-16).

Republic store in Westfield, London

REPUBLIC

Every legitimate government is republican

I therefore give the name “Republic” to every State that is governed by laws, no matter what the form of its administration may be: for only in such a case does the

public interest govern, and the res publica rank as a reality. Every legitimate government is republican; . . .

(p33-34).

Brigitte Bardot in 1956’s And God Created Woman

THE BODY POLITIC

The natural and inevitable tendency of the best constituted governments

Brigitte Bardot in 1956’s And God Created Woman

THE BODY POLITIC


The body politic, as well as the human body, begins to die as soon as it is born, and carries in itself the cau-

ses of its destruction. But both may have a constitution that is more or less robust and suited to preserve them

a longer or a shorter time (p77).

Brigitte Bardot in 1956’s And God Created WomanBrigitte Bardot photographed in May 2010

THE BODY POLITIC


It is not in men’s power to prolong their own lives; but it is for them to prolong as much as possible the life

of the State, by giving it the best possible constitution. The best constituted State will have an end; but it will end later than any other, unless some unforeseen acci-

dent brings about its untimely destruction (p77-78).

GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL

Legislative and executive power

The body politic has . . . will under the name of legis-lative power and force under that of executive power (p49).

GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL

Legislative and executive power

The legislative power is the heart of the State; the ex-ecutive power is its brain, . . . A man may remain an imbecile and live; but as soon as the heart ceases to perform its functions, the animal is dead (p78).

President SBY visited Sinabung Tanah Karo, North Sumatra (23/01/2014)

THE PEOPLE

The people is never corrupted, but it is often deceived

. . . that the general will is always right and tends to the public advantage; but it does not follow that the

deliberations of the people are always equally correct (p25).

Jokowi checked the culvert at Jalan MH Thamrin, Jakarta (26/12/2012)

THE PEOPLE

The will of all versus the general will

. . . while the [will of all] takes private interest into account, and is no more than a sum of particular

wills: but take away from these same wills the pluses and minuses that cancel one another, and the general

will remains as the sum of the differences (p25).

What is the best government?


A body politic may be measured in two ways – either by the extent of its territory, or by the number of its people; . . . (p42).


A body politic may be measured in two ways – either by the extent of its territory, or by the number of its people; . . . (p42).

The men make the State, and the territory sustains the men; the right relation therefore is that the land should suffice for the maintenance of the inhabitants, and that there should be as many inhabitants as the land can maintain (p42-43).

THAT ALL FORMS OF GOVERNMENT DO NOT SUIT ALL COUNTRIES

There is not a single unique and absolute form of government

THAT ALL FORMS OF GOVERNMENT DO NOT SUIT ALL COUNTRIES

There is not a single unique and absolute form of government

. . . because of the differences in the quality of land, in its fertility, in the nature of its products, and in the in-fluence of climate, and because of the different tempers of those who inhabit it; for some in a fertile country consume little, and others on an ungrateful soil much (p43).

Decorative copy of the Fundamental Law on display in the Hungary Parliament building

LAWS

The division of the laws

First, there is the action of the complete body upon itself, the relation of the whole to the whole, of the

Sovereign to the State; . . . political laws, and are also called fundamental laws, not without reason if they are

wise (p47).

AQJ’s session in East Jakarta District Court (16/07014)

LAWS


The second relation is that of the members one to another, or to the body as a whole; . . . Each citizen

would then be perfectly independent of all the rest, and at the same time very dependent on the city; . . . From

this second relation arise civil laws (p47-48).

AQJ’s session in East Jakarta District Court (16/07014)

LAWS


The second relation is that of the members one to another, or to the body as a whole; . . . Each citizen

would then be perfectly independent of all the rest, and at the same time very dependent on the city; . . . From

this second relation arise civil laws (p47-48).

Ade Sara’s murder trial (04/11/014)

LAWS


. . a third kind of relation between the individual and the law, a relation of disobedience to its penalty. This

gives rise to the setting up of criminal laws, . . . (p48).

Ade Sara’s murder trial (04/11/014)

LAWS


. . a third kind of relation between the individual and the law, a relation of disobedience to its penalty. This

gives rise to the setting up of criminal laws, . . . (p48).

Princes William and Harry joined the flood relief effort by helping soldiers to lay sandbags in Datchet (14/02/2014)

LAWS


a fourth, most important of all, . . . on the hearts of the citizens. This forms the real constitution of the State,

takes on every day new powers, when other laws decay or die out, restores them or takes their place,

keeps a people in the ways in which it was meant to go, and insensibly replaces authority by the force of habit.

I am speaking of morality, of custom, above all of public opinion; . . . (p48).

Princes William and Harry joined the flood relief effort by helping soldiers to lay sandbags in Datchet (14/02/2014)

LAWS


a fourth, most important of all, . . . on the hearts of the citizens. This forms the real constitution of the State,

takes on every day new powers, when other laws decay or die out, restores them or takes their place,

keeps a people in the ways in which it was meant to go, and insensibly replaces authority by the force of habit.

I am speaking of morality, of custom, above all of public opinion; . . . (p48).

POLITICS AND RELIGION

That God was set over every political society

Wise men, if they try to speak their language to the common herd instead of its own, cannot possibly make themselves understood.




The legislator therefore, being unable to appeal to either force or reason, must have recourse to an authority of a different order, capable of constraining without violence and persuading without convincing.




The legislator therefore, being unable to appeal to either force or reason, must have recourse to an authority of a different order, capable of constraining without violence and persuading without convincing.

This is what has, in all ages, compelled the fathers of nations to have recourse to divine intervention and credit the gods with their own wisdom, . . . (p37).



Don Felipe thanks you for listening!

Education

The Social Contract by J.J. Rousseau