Rousseau's General Will Explained | Political Science Lecture 7| CSS

According to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the Social Contract is an agreement through which individuals surrender their private interests to the collective community in order to form a political society based on freedom and equality. Unlike thinkers who viewed the contract mainly as a means of security, Rousseau argued that true freedom is preserved when citizens obey laws they have collectively created for themselves. This collective moral and political interest is called the General Wil; the will directed toward the common good rather than the selfish desires of individuals or groups. Sovereignty belongs to the people as a whole, and legitimate laws must reflect the General Will. Thus, Rousseau believed that citizens can remain free even under government authority because, by obeying laws that embody the General Will, they are ultimately obeying themselves as members of the sovereign community. Political Philosophy Political Science CSS Political Science PMS Political Science Political Theory Plato Aristotle Machiavelli Thomas Hobbes John Locke Social Contract Theory Political Thinkers Exam Preparation #rousseau #css #css2027 #pms #education #kppsc #politicalscience #cceexam #politicalphilosophy