Locke and Rousseau

Paper Summary:

This paper compares the ideas of John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who were two of the seminal influences on modern conceptions of liberty. The paper attempts to ascertain which thinker had a more democratic and legitimate notion of liberty. It also discusses the history behind their theories and why they presented the ideas that they did.

From the Paper:

"Locke and Rousseau on the Subject of Liberty John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were two of the seminal influences on modern conceptions of liberty. This paper will compare their ideas, with a view to ascertaining which thinker had a more democratic and legitimate notion of liberty. In analysing the level of democracy in Locke's concept of liberty, it is essential to note that Locke conceived of a very limited kind of democracy. While it was democratic within its historical context, it was most certainly not what we think of as democracy today. The key reason for this is that Locke restricted democratic rights to men (not women) who owned property."

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• Comparison Essay # 31931 : "Locke and Rousseau on the Social Contract"

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