not know if Karl Marx or Vladimir Lenin read him, but he sure seems to be speaking to them from the past.Rousseau showed hints of these ideas in his Second Discourse, which predicts what was to become of The Social Contract. He tells the reader that in a new society it was “necessary for punishment to become more severe as the occasions for offense became more frequent.” He sees that civil society needs to instill fear of punishment in the members otherwise they will not obey the laws. He finds that this type of action will be the least likely to cause a revolution. (Second, pages 150-151) This would be an extremely oppressive behavior of a government that does not try to really fix a problem, but rather destroy it.Rousseau desperately tries to set up a society with the most equality. Inequality seems to be his greatest concern. Rousseau tries to avoid competition, jealousy, abuse of wealth or fortunes, and the desire to profit at the expense of others. He feels that “These evils are the first effect of property and the inseparable consequence of nascent inequality.”(Social, p.156) Rousseau wants everyone to have the same, which is not much of anything. If everyone does not have property than there would be no reason for all of those evils.The only way that a society could achieve such equality would require a government that effects every aspect of everyone’s life. A government with total control mirrors socialism or totalitarianism. Rousseau rationalizes this type of government by wanting magistrates and those in control to value the interests of the general will over their private interests. He even sees the need for appointed temporary dictators in times of crisis. This is a far cry from democracy. Democracy does not allow an individual to “silence all the laws and temporarily suspend the sovereign authority.” (Social, p.171) Rousseau has blind optimism for those in his state.Rousseau attac...
