JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU'S THOUGHT ON POLITICAL ETHICS AND ITS MEANING

Περίληψη

As one of the most influential philosophers of the 18th century, Rousseau's goal, expressed in many of his works, was to find a way to build a moral social community, a just order that would gradually eliminate selfishness and division among the present human beings. "Rousseau maintained the belief that human beings in society were selfish and hopelessly divided - even among themselves, and his desire was to put an end to this condition, to channel their instincts, aggression, and competition into a social harmony". The goal of "re-establishing" society was shared by many philosophers, but according to Rousseau, it could not be achieved if it was left to the institutions of law or government. Rousseau requires that the natural self must be replaced by the collective self, the individual will by the common will and political goals are inseparable from morality. The goal of the social contract, according to J.J. Rousseau, is that people living in a good social order will become a “more virtuous” entity, not simply “better”. Rousseau’s thoughts on political morality have had a particularly great influence on the French Revolution. Up to now, in the context of a world with many conflicts, wars and riots, J.J. Rousseau's thoughts on political ethics suggest many valuable issues, especially when applied to political practice. That is the motivation for the author to study Rousseau's political ethics.