The Enlightenment thinker Rousseau and Primo De Rivera: the volonté générale in the service of fascism?
Abstract
This article explores the theoretical relationship between the Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Spanish fascist ideologue José Antonio Primo de Rivera. The author argues that while Rousseau is often hailed as a founder of modern democratic principles and popular sovereignty, his concept of the "general will" (volonté générale) contains paternalistic and authoritarian tendencies that were later appropriated by fascist ideologies. By comparing Rousseau's The Social Contract with Primo de Rivera's Battle Speeches, the study analyzes how the fascist appropriation of the "people" as a natural, organic entity mirrors Rousseau's insistence on a "real" will that is independent of individual or majority preferences. The article highlights the transition from Enlightenment rationalism to the populist elitism of fascism, suggesting that the identification of the State with the People and the Leader can find its early justification in Rousseau's framework.
Article Details
- How to Cite
-
Zacharakis, M. (2021). The Enlightenment thinker Rousseau and Primo De Rivera: the volonté générale in the service of fascism?. Ηθική. Περιοδικό φιλοσοφίας, (14), 22–27. https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.28590
- Issue
- No. 14 (2021)
- Section
- Articles
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). This license allows others to share and adapt the work, provided that the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal are properly acknowledged.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their personal websites) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
