Jean-Jacques Rousseau as John Rawl`s predecessor

Philosophy

Abstract

The question of Jean-Jacques Rousseau`s influence on modern liberal political theory and especially on John Rawls`s theory of justice is the subject of debate between researchers. Rawls himself calls Rousseau as one of his predecessors. Nonetheless such influential political philosopher as Martha Nussbaum considers that Rousseau is not a representative of the tradition in political philosophy to which Locke, Kant and Rawls are belonging. On the other hand, such researchers as Samuel Freeman and David Williams deny notion of Nussbaum. They recognize the influence of Rousseau on Rawls. This debate is very interesting because one or the other position in it is closely connected with a certain understanding not only of Rousseau`s thought but also of modern liberal theories of justice. Can Rousseau be considered the predecessor of Rawls? This article contains historical and philosophical analysis of Rousseau`s understanding of justice. Rousseau was one of the first social critics. Not any society has a value for him but only society where man can be free. Accordingly social contract has a value for him when it satisfies this condition. The social contract should provide the institutional basis of a free and just society. Therefore the certain requirements are put forward to it. The contract must guarantee the equality of persons. And Rousseau was the first who determined that the fairness of the terms and conditions of the original agreement allows us to formulate just principles of social cooperation. In this assertion as well as in his doctrine of the individual freedom, which found its continuation in Kant's theory of autonomy, and in the doctrine of the general will, he create the background for Rawls`s constructivism and therefore deserves to be called as predecessor of Rawls. At the same time it would be a mistake to ignore the fact that Rousseau’s works contains sources of the theory of nationalism and communitarian approach. A careful reading of Rousseau leaves no doubt that he anticipated many of the ideas which were later expressed by Fichte in his famous work «The Addressesto the German Nation» (for example, social role of language and education). So Rousseau demonstrates the connection of political community with certain principles of justice. In this respect he is really a precursor of Alasdair MacIntyre`s communitarian approach and to a certain extent of Rawlsian understanding of political community in «Political liberalism» and «The Law of peoples».