Preparing the Individual to Submit to the General Will: An Analysis of Rousseau's Political Goals of Education

Abstract

Rousseau, as one of the most influential and pioneering philosophers of the Enlightenment and social contract theory, sought to establish the foundations for creating an equal and strong state. Rousseau's social contract is one side of the coin; its other side is the concept of education as described in Emile. The former represents the political aspect of the state, while the latter represents its educational dimension. For a strong social contract to exist, good education is essential. The process of transforming the individual into a citizen forms the cornerstone of a strong state. That is, the individual's commitment to the general will and becoming a patriotic and moral citizen leads to the strength of the state and the social contract. Citizens' adherence to the general will does not imply unanimous agreement [the will of all]; rather, it signifies the relinquishing of individual desires, allowing the general will to emerge. All of these are the results of good education, whose foundations Rousseau lays out in Emile. Furthermore, the basis for the emergence of freedom is tied to the general will, because Rousseau believes that adherence to mere personal desires constitutes slavery, whereas adherence to the general will is freedom. In this research, based on an analytical method, we seek to answer the question: How can the process of transforming the individual into a citizen are achieved? This study relies on the theory of the social contract and, in collecting data and information, draws upon Rousseau's original manuscripts, relevant scientific journals, and scholarly works by researchers in the field of social contract theory.