Question

[I]t is plainly contrary to [against] the law of nature... that children should command old men, fools wise men, and that the privileged few should gorge themselves... while the starving multitude are in want of the bare necessities of life. -Rousseau, Second Discourse on the Origins of Inequality, 1755 Rousseau's ideas of "natural law" led to his publication of The Social Contract in 1763. His writings reflect Enlightenment ideals because he desired A) greater rights for common people. B) harmony between faith and reason. C) a return to the primacy of the Catholic Church. D) a rebirth of the classical ideals of Greece and Rome.

Answer 1

Answer: A) greater rights for common people.

Rousseau argued for a democratic government to rule developed countries. He claimed that the government was in place only through an implicit social contract between the people and the government. This contract ensured that the needs of the people for safety and resources were fulfilled in exchange for the loss of some of their liberties.

However, he argued that in most systems, this contract was broken, because the government was not fulfilling its side of the bargain. According to Rousseau, the power and sovereignty of the country laid with the common people. Therefore, the fulfillment of their common needs and desires (the common will) was the main goal of the state.