A Study of the Rousseau’s Literature: Stumbling Blocks of Jean Jacque Rousseau's Theory of a Free and Equal

Abstract

This essay purports to examine various aspects of Rousseau's Theory of a Free and Equal Society in correlation with prescription and fact. The construction of Rousseau’s Theory of a Free and Equal Society reveals at least six contradictions between prescription and fact: 1) the state of natureal assumption; 2) the assumption that social interaction is not native to man’s true nature; 3) the hypothesis that man’s basic nature of independent freedom remains the same after contact with others; 4) the premise that man is by nature good and becomes depraved and perverted through societal influences; 5) his theory about the origins of inequality; and 6) the theory of the General Will. Each and every provision of his theoretical building blocks refutes explanations against key findings on human nature and social phenomena from other disciplines, such as psychology, anthropology, political science, and sociology. This essay aims to show patterns of logical pitfalls and idiosyncrasies. It also shows that totalitarian potentialities can be found in Rousseau's philosophy.