Rousseau’s Covenant

The French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau proposed ideas in the 18^th century about the fundamental nature of humans and their societies. While his views on individual human nature were generally optimistic, he was quite pessimistic about the qualities of society. He wrote that, while we are born virtuous and free, civilization will inevitably make our lives unpleasant. The opening statement of his famous work, On the Social Contract, reflects this sentiment: “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains.”

Much of Rousseau's philosophical work was about how to counteract society's and governments’ harmful influence on each of us. His concept of the “social contract” was a way protect our freedom. It is basically a covenant between the populous and the government which assures that citizens have the ability and right to rein in government, when it threatens to break that contract. Such a well-ordered society cannot endure, however, if there does not exist some kind of common will of the people. There needs to be some cohesion among citizens… some coming ground. Once citizens begin to fragment, however, they will lose their authority and their control, allowing the government to seize power and begin to violate the general will and harm the populace.

Whatever kind of regime is established—that is, whatever form of government is created—in order to be legitimate it must implement the will of the people, by creating a just society that provides for the common good. In this manner the government becomes the executive, while the people are literally sovereign. In fact, the people should be the source of laws that govern society... because those laws must be formulated in the interest of citizens. If instead, the government makes laws, then the people ought to have the authority to accept or reject them. The critical point is that the government should be implementing the will of the people—not dominating or controlling it.

The USA Constitution enshrines this concept by its very opening words: “We the people of the United States...” The Constitution goes on to define the government as being formed into three balanced branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Yet the core of the Constitution is the concept that all three branches must still be subservient to the will and welfare of the people. It is, after all, “We the people…"

Rousseau was concerned—if not convinced—that governments so justly conceived, will inevitably violate that contract by seizing inordinate power and responding chiefly to the desires of the rich and powerful. I think one could make a good argument that that is exactly what is happening in the US today. Things are out of balance. The needs and welfare of the people are being disregarded by the rich and powerful in Washington, DC, as well as in state capitals across the country.