For Rousseau, the "general will" was
A) a meaningless abstraction and impediment to reason.
B) derived from the law of supply and demand.
C) a license to do as one pleased.
D) a social consensus to which the individual must bow.
E) identical to Locke's social contract.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rousseau believed that the "general will" represented the common good, and that individuals should subordinate their private interests to the general will. The general will was not simply a majority opinion, but rather a true expression of the common good, which might be arrived at through debate and discussion. In this sense, the general will was similar to the notion of a social contract, but differed from Locke's view in that it was not based on individual rights, but on the collective good of the community.

For Rousseau, the "General Will" Was