Rousseau, Law and the Sovereignty of the People

by Ethan Putterman

Overview

Together with Plato’s Republic, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract is regarded as one of the most original examples of utopian political engineering in the history of ideas. Similar to the Republic, Rousseau’s masterwork is better known today for its author’s idiosyncratic view of political justice than its lessons on lawmaking or governance in any concrete sense. Challenging this common view, Rousseau, Law and the Sovereignty of the People examines the Genevan’s contributions as a legislator and builder of institutions, relating his major ideas to issues and debates in twenty-first century political science. Ethan Putterman explores how Rousseau’s just state would actually operate, investigating how laws would be drafted, ratified and executed, arguing that the theory of the Social Contract is more pragmatic and populist than many scholars assume today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521765381
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/22/2010
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Ethan Putterman is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, National University of Singapore. He is a past Fellow of the Society for the Liberal Arts in the College at the University of Chicago.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments viii

A note on the text x

List of abbreviations xi

Introduction: The celestial voice 1

1 Rousseau's concept of law 10

2 Agenda-setting and majority rule 40

3 Democracy and vote rigging 72

4 Popular sovereignty and the republican fear of large assemblies 96

5 Enforcing the laws in Poland and Corsica 122

6 Judging the laws/when legislation fails 146

Conclusion: Law and liberty 173

Select bibliography 179

Name index 183

Subject index 185

Editorial Reviews

'Putterman's signal and invaluable contribution is to demonstrate the ways in which Rousseau's attention to institutional design consistently aimed at enhancing rather than disabling the people's authority over, and their freedom through, laws. Rather than revealing a hidden preference for elite control over citizens, Rousseau's institutional sophistication instead affirms his profound commitment to popular sovereignty.' History of Political Thought

From the Publisher