The General Will before Rousseau: The Transformation of the Divine into the Civic

Patrick Riley

Published by Princeton University Press 1986

The General Will before Rousseau

The Transformation of the Divine into the Civic

Patrick Riley

Volume 80 in the series Studies in Moral, Political, and Legal Philosophy

In the series Princeton Legacy Library

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400858187

Overview
Contents

About this book

Patrick Riley traces the forgotten roots of Rousseau's concept to seventeenth-century questions about the justice of God. If He wills that all men be saved, does He have a general will that produces universal salvation? And, if He does not, why does He will particularly" that some men be damned? The theological origin of the "general will" was important to Rousseau himself. He uses the language of divinity bequeathed to him by Pascal, Malebranche, Fenelon, and others to dignify, to elevate, and to "save" politics.

Originally published in 1986.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Reviews

"This is a remarkable book—a learned, lucid, and original study of the gradual transformation of a concept that derives much of its force from its until now forgotten origins. No one has ever told this story before."—Judith N. Shklar, Harvard University

A most important contribution to the study of Enlightenment political and social ideas, accessible to public library patrons as well as academic readers. The author presents a very convincing claim that the doctrine of the general will emerged as a theological idea, predating by over a century Rousseau's famous political application in the Social Contract. There is a very impressive marshaling of literary evidence, moderated by a clear facility with the argumentative and writing styles of the major participants.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xiv
One. The General Will Established: From Paul and Augustine to Pascal and Malebranche Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Two. The General Will under Attack: The Criticisms of Bossuet, Fenelon, and Bayle Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	64
Three. The Departure from General Will: Malebranche on Moral Relations, Order, and Occasionalism Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	99
Four. The General Will Socialized: The Contribution of Montesquieu Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	138
Five. The General Will Completed: Rousseau and the Volonté Générale of the Citizen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	181
Six. A Brief Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	251
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	261

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