Rousseau forcefully describes the ideal of a democratic society, in which we live together as free and equal, and our politics focuses on the common good. Joshua Cohen explores this ideal, explaining why Rousseau thought that it was possible for human beings to live in such a society, and discussing the enduring importance of his political ideas.

• Introduction


• 1: A Free Community of Equals?


• 2: The Society of the General Will


• 3: Reflections on the General Will's Sovereignty


• 4: The Natural Goodness of Humanity


• 5: Democracy

Joshua Cohen taught political philosophy at MIT from 1977-2006, and now teaches at Stanford in political science, philosophy, and law, where he is Marta Sutton Weeks Professor of Ethics in Society.