Marx And Rousseau Essay

1102 Words3 Pages

Alzhan Achilov.
Introduction to Critical issues in the humanities and social sciences.
Sunday, Apr 13.

Compare the views of Rousseau and Marx on private property and social contract. Both Marx and Rousseau describe the condition of men who are “in chains.” What are the differences and similarities between the respective "chains"? How do Marx and Rousseau propose to liberate men from their “chains”?

Both Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Karl Marx had some doubts concerning works of Locke and Hobbes about democracy. Still, their delay originated from distinctive bases. For Rousseau, the issue was mostly political; particularly, the question of liberal independence and assent as the special part of managing government. Rousseau's choice was 'General will'. Marx's opinion was farther radical. Trading and loaning was the issue and just by upsetting the economic class framework could a practical unbiased state be made. So, the aim of this paper is to discuss and evaluate differences between Rousseau and Marx’s points of view.

Rousseau in some perspective did not support ideas of Hobbes and Locke – people who also described, at some points, principles of social contract. Rousseau argued in The Social Contract, " Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains" (Rousseau 1761). For Rousseau, the riddle is the way to accommodate the chains of authority with the "natural state" of people’s freedom. Rousseau's option is to create an administration that could be seen as the one, which deserves to be trusted. Rousseau's answer to this riddle is the principle of General Will, which allows men to be free and allows government to be visible.

Rousseau's 'General Will' at first sight appears to be like Hobbes' and Locke's social contract theorie...

... middle of paper ...

... Marx thought that, depart from economics, politics was the problem too. His solution was to eliminate private property, establish equal rights, and terminate economic classes. He thought that only those steps could help a state to be truly democratic.
In my opinion, we cannot say who is totally right, and who is absolutely wrong. Both theories have some reasonable basis. So, it depends on people, which theory to support. If they think that Marx’s principles are closer to them, they should choose his theory. If they feel that Rousseau’s ideas are more appropriate for them, they should choose his theory.

Reference list:

Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. 1959. The Communist Manifesto. Yale University Press, 2012.
Rousseau, Jean Jacques. 1761. Of the Social Contract, Or, Principles of Political Right. Edited By NK Singh. Global Vision Publishing.

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