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Single Idea 19804

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / d. General will ]

Full Idea

If, when a sufficiently informed populace deliberates, the citizens were to have no communication among themselves, the general will would always result from a large number of small differences, and the deliberations would always be good.

Gist of Idea

If a large knowledgeable population votes in isolation, their many choices will have good results

Source

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The Social Contract (tr Cress) [1762], II.03)

Book Ref

Rousseau,Jean-Jacques: 'The Basic Political Writings', ed/tr. Cress,Donald A. [Hackett 1987], p.156

A Reaction

An obvious weak point in the electorate being well informed, if someone controls the sources of information. All the optimism of the Enlightenment is in this idea - that rational beings converge of the truth. All pubs closed in the month of an election?

Related Idea

Idea 95 If everyone believes it, it is true [Aristotle]

The 33 ideas with the same theme [consensus among citizens that justifies a state]:

2832 The state aims to consist as far as possible of those who are like and equal [Aristotle]
13315 To govern used to mean to serve, not to rule; rulers did not test their powers over those who bestowed it [Seneca]
19910 A single will creates the legislature, which is duty-bound to preserve that will [Locke]
7239 The social pact is the total subjection of individuals to the general will [Rousseau]
19793 We need a protective association which unites forces, but retains individual freedom [Rousseau]
7240 To foreign powers a state is seen as a simple individual [Rousseau]
19795 The act of association commits citizens to the state, and the state to its citizens [Rousseau]
19797 Citizens must ultimately for forced to accept the general will (so freedom is compulsory!) [Rousseau]
19796 Individual citizens still retain a private will, which may be contrary to the general will [Rousseau]
7244 The general will is common interest; the will of all is the sum of individual desires [Rousseau]
19802 The general will is always right, but the will of all can err, because it includes private interests [Rousseau]
19803 If the state contains associations there are fewer opinions, undermining the general will [Rousseau]
19804 If a large knowledgeable population votes in isolation, their many choices will have good results [Rousseau]
19808 The general will changes its nature when it focuses on particulars [Rousseau]
7246 The general will is always good, but sometimes misunderstood [Rousseau]
7250 Laws are authentic acts of the general will [Rousseau]
19844 Assemblies must always confirm the form of government, and the current administration [Rousseau]
19846 The more unanimous the assembly, the stronger the general will becomes [Rousseau]
21079 The a priori general will of a people shows what is right [Kant]
21070 A law is unjust if the whole people could not possibly agree to it [Kant]
19856 The law expresses the general will, and all citizens can participate [Mirabeau/committee]
3778 The community's interest is a sum of individual interests [Bentham]
22794 A fully developed state is conscious and knows what it wills [Hegel]
22799 The people do not have the ability to know the general will [Hegel]
22801 The great man of the ages is the one who reveals and accomplishes the will of his time [Hegel]
7210 The will of the people is that of the largest or most active part of the people [Mill]
22001 The real will of the cooperative will replace the 'will of the people' [Marx]
23045 Politics is compromises, which seem supported by a social contract, but express the will of no one [Green,TH]
20935 Eventually political parties lose touch with the class they represent, which is dangerous [Gramsci]
20500 We can see the 'general will' as what is in the general interest [Wolff,J]
20090 Today it seems almost impossible to learn the will of the people [Reybrouck]
20087 There are no united monolothic 'peoples', and no 'national gut feelings' [Reybrouck]
22594 In 1794 France all individual and legal rights were suppressed by the general will [Dunt]