Ideas of liberty and equality in works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Pervan, Martina. (2016). Ideas of liberty and equality in works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Philosophy. [mentor Raunić, Raul].

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Abstract

This master thesis, titled Ideas of liberty and equality in works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau analyzes the fundamental Rousseau's works in field of political philosophy, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality and The Social Contract, and highlights relation between the ideas of liberty and equality. Introduction is about historical genesis of the ideas liberty and equality, and their comparison through ancient and modern thought. Second chapter places Rousseau in a particular historical context of the Enlightenment movement and shows how Rousseau's philosophical thought was so different and why he criticizes Enlightenment movement. Third chapter first analyzes Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, where Rousseau defines state of nature and gradually presents stages of inequality which necessary lead to an illegitimate political order. Next chapter points out Rousseau's main ideas in The Social Contract, where Rousseau believes that only constitution of democratic political order with the idea of general will, can secure liberty and equality for their members. The last two chapters are about relation between liberty and equality in the context of the liberal and republican thought and Rousseau's critique of liberal theory from republican point of view. The conclusion confirms Rousseau's importance for later development of political philosophy, its influence on modern, social and political thought.

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