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Single Idea 19749
[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / c. Direct democracy
]
Full Idea
In order to stop ...the dangerous innovations that finally ruined Athens, no one would have the power to propose new laws according to his fancy; this right belongs exclusively to the magistrates.
Clarification
'Magistrates' administer the government
Gist of Idea
In a direct democracy, only the leaders should be able to propose new laws
Source
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Discourse on the Origin of Inequality [1754], Intro letter)
Book Ref
Rousseau,Jean-Jacques: 'The Basic Political Writings', ed/tr. Cress,Donald A. [Hackett 1987], p.28
A Reaction
Aristotle says (somewhere!) that control of the agenda for meetings is the key issue in democracies. I assume any citizen can propose a law, but only a magistrate can put it on the agenda. Maybe a separate 'citizen's committee' could filter suggestions.
The
43 ideas
from 'Discourse on the Origin of Inequality'
19747
|
Revolutionaries usually confuse liberty with total freedom, and end up with heavier chains
[Rousseau]
|
19748
|
Plebiscites are bad, because they exclude the leaders from crucial decisions
[Rousseau]
|
19749
|
In a direct democracy, only the leaders should be able to propose new laws
[Rousseau]
|
19746
|
Like rich food, liberty can ruin people who are too weak to cope with it
[Rousseau]
|
19775
|
People must be made dependent before they can be enslaved
[Rousseau]
|
19774
|
A savage can steal fruit or a home, but there is no means of achieving obedience
[Rousseau]
|
19772
|
In a state of nature people are much more equal; it is society which increases inequalities
[Rousseau]
|
19767
|
Reason leads to prudent selfishness, which overrules natural compassion
[Rousseau]
|
19757
|
No one would bother to reason, and try to know things, without a desire for enjoyment
[Rousseau]
|
19760
|
General ideas are purely intellectual; imagining them is immediately particular
[Rousseau]
|
19759
|
Only words can introduce general ideas into the mind
[Rousseau]
|
19758
|
Language may aid thinking, but powerful thought was needed to produce language
[Rousseau]
|
19773
|
Without love, what use is beauty?
[Rousseau]
|
19769
|
Rational morality is OK for brainy people, but ordinary life can't rely on that
[Rousseau]
|
19768
|
The better Golden Rule is 'do good for yourself without harming others'
[Rousseau]
|
19766
|
The fact that we weep (e.g. in theatres) shows that we are naturally compassionate
[Rousseau]
|
19756
|
Humans are less distinguished from other animals by understanding, than by being free agents
[Rousseau]
|
19755
|
Most human ills are self-inflicted; the simple, solitary, regular natural life is good
[Rousseau]
|
19762
|
Is language a pre-requisite for society, or might it emerge afterwards?
[Rousseau]
|
19763
|
I doubt whether a savage person ever complains of life, or considers suicide
[Rousseau]
|
19765
|
Savages avoid evil because they are calm, and never think of it (not because they know goodness)
[Rousseau]
|
19771
|
Savage men quietly pursue desires, without the havoc of modern frenzied imagination
[Rousseau]
|
19770
|
Primitive people simply redressed the evil caused by violence, without thought of punishing
[Rousseau]
|
19761
|
Men started with too few particular names, but later had too few natural kind names
[Rousseau]
|
19776
|
Small uninterrupted causes can have big effects
[Rousseau]
|
19783
|
A state of war remains after a conquest, if the losers don't accept the winners
[Rousseau]
|
19778
|
Leisure led to envy, inequality, vice and revenge, which we now see in savages
[Rousseau]
|
19779
|
Primitive man was very gentle
[Rousseau]
|
19789
|
It is against nature for children to rule old men, fools to rule the wise, and the rich to hog resources
[Rousseau]
|
19787
|
People accept the right to be commanded, because they themselves wish to command
[Rousseau]
|
19780
|
We seem to have made individual progress since savagery, but actually the species has decayed
[Rousseau]
|
19784
|
Enslaved peoples often boast of their condition, calling it a state of 'peace'
[Rousseau]
|
19785
|
If the child of a slave woman is born a slave, then a man is not born a man
[Rousseau]
|
19786
|
Three stages of the state produce inequalities of wealth, power, and enslavement
[Rousseau]
|
19788
|
The pleasure of wealth and power is largely seeing others deprived of them
[Rousseau]
|
19777
|
Persuading other people that some land was 'owned' was the beginning of society
[Rousseau]
|
19782
|
What else could property arise from, but the labour people add to it?
[Rousseau]
|
19781
|
Land cultivation led to a general right of ownership, administered justly
[Rousseau]
|
19754
|
If we have a natural right to property, what exactly does 'belonging to' mean?
[Rousseau]
|
19750
|
Writers just propose natural law as the likely useful agreements among people
[Rousseau]
|
19752
|
If we should not mistreat humans, it is mainly because of sentience, not rationality
[Rousseau]
|
19751
|
Our two starting principles are concern for self-interest, and compassion for others
[Rousseau]
|
19753
|
Both men and animals are sentient, which should give the latter the right not to be mistreated
[Rousseau]
|