John Lock

Assignment 1: Burke and Rousseau on Freedom

Burke and Rousseau on "Freedom"

Introduction

Within this essay, I will be discussing two great political philosophers of the late 18th Century, Jeanne-Jacques Rousseau and Edmund Burke, and their opinions on the subject of Freedom. This paper will not only explore their ideas of freedom, but how freedom should be guaranteed within existing societies in the 18th century.

Edumond Burke (1729-1787)

I will first start off by discussion Edmund Burke (1729-1797), who most will agree is the founder of political conservatism. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Burke entered (British) Parliament in 1765, a Whig. Throughout his political career, Burke had supported the cause of freedom, but was opposed to any movements in the direction of increased freedom that would produce mayhem. Burke's definition of freedom, at its most basic description is that freedom should be free from coercion (free from restraint or force); whether it stemmed from the crown, parliament, or the people and that all men are born free (in "The State of Nature"). By leaving the State of Nature and entering civil society, man gives up the right to self-govern and agrees to follow the rule of law present in the society he is a member of (Social Contract). By entering society, man's natural rights will also be protected by the state. He argues that the best way to ensure freedom to members of society is through strict adherence to the rule of law, traditional ruling practices (the monarchy) and that free people should be led by a "natural aristocracy". In Burke's opinion, freedom means being left alone, freedom from the state, but not freedom to control the state. Freedom does not mean having a say in the governments decision, but the freedom to choose government. Those who make decisions effecting citizens must be confined to the ruling class because they are educated and trained in the ways of human nature, leaving them as the most competent persons capable of making decisions on behalf of the rest of society. (Catlin, 1939)

Upon the publication of his work "Reflections on the Revolution in Franc" (1790). Burke shocked his contemporaries with his criticism of the French Revolution for which Burke felt was not a step towards a representative, constitutional democracy (increased freedom) but as a violent rebellion against tradition and proper authority ending in disaster (totalitarianism). Given his record as a strong supporter of American independence, many of his contemporaries in support and actively playing a role in the revolution in France stated that the revolution stood for freedom from oppression by removing aristocracy and traditional authority, increasing everyone's freedom. Burke did not object to reform, on the contrary he supported it, but he felt radical change and reform in France would only serve to under mind the natural order of things and abandoned the traditions which were essential in a stable civil society, leading to chaos Ð'- or increased oppression, the opposite of increased freedom.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau "Men must be forced to be free." (The Social Contract, 1762.)

Rousseau (1712-1778) born in Geneva, Switzerland was one of the first modern writers to seriously attack the institution of private property, and argued that the state is created to preserve freedom by placing constraints upon pre-existing individual freedoms (found within the original state of nature). In Rousseau's "The Social Contract" written in 1762, Rousseau has two explanations of freedom: Personal freedom and social freedom. Personal freedom comes from humans' basic instincts and natural selfishness -an individual acts only if he benefits. Rousseau also called this freedom a "state of nature" where humans exist without common law or government to ensure individual freedoms. The second freedom, social freedom, is achieved when an individual obeys the desires of the General Will. (Catlin,1939) He argued that all men are born free, but because man has the ability to rationalize and the need to be social, he must enter a social contract with others and in doing this gives up their freedom by joining society or by participating in the "Social Contract". (Ritchie, 2005) At the foundation of his thought, Rousseau asserts that individual freedom will be assured in a society governed according to the general will, meaning that the majority has agreed and the government will act in accordance to the will of the majority. Once rulers cease to protect the ruled, the social contract is broken and the governed are free to choose another set of governors or magistrates. (Ritchie, 2005)

Like Burke, Rousseau is concerned with preserving the individual's freedom. Unlike Burke, Rousseau argued that human society is based on voluntary agreement between its members. Individual freedom is