State of Nature and Freedom according to Rousseau

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Published: Mar 25, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.22669
Keywords:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau; State of nature; Social contract; General will; Political liberty; Self-preservation; Moral freedom; Perfectibility
Nefeli Ralli
Abstract

This paper examines Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s theory of the state of nature and freedom, highlighting how his perspective deviates from traditional social contract theories. Rousseau challenges the belief in innate human sociality, arguing instead that the natural human is a solitary, "pre-logical" being whose primary drive is self-preservation rather than reason. The author explores the transition from this original state of "goodness" to the establishment of political society through the Social Contract. Within this framework, natural independence is exchanged for political and moral freedom, where individuals obey a general will that they have helped define, thereby remaining as free as they were in the state of nature. Ultimately, the study posits that for Rousseau, freedom is the defining characteristic of humanity, serving as the essential foundation for all legitimate social relations.

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References
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