ROUSSEAU AGAINST THE LIBERAL TRADITION:
THE PROBLEM OF TOTALITARIANISM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7443/problemata.v17i1.76316Keywords:
Totalitarianism, Freedom, General will, Social contract, CriticismAbstract
The central aim of this article is to deal with the theme of totalitarianism based on readings of Rousseau by authors from the liberal tradition, such as Constant, Vaughan, Talmon and Berlin, while at the same time analyzing two other particular positions on the subject by Bertrand Russell and Gérard Lebrun. Based on these readings, it aims to expose some of the negative reception of the concepts of liberty and general will, and tries to understand the movements that lead to the conclusion that the Genevan was the author who wrote, provided and anticipated the concept of totalitarianism. The article is not restricted to exposing the perspective of these philosophers, but also aims to untie the knots they have formed, seek ways out and even problematize the point of view associated with Rousseau. It is therefore a critical exposition of the problem of totalitarianism, firstly considering the criticisms and imputations directed at Rousseau, and then returning to contractualist theory and commentators to endorse the critical interpretation of the very idea of totalitarianism in Rousseau that liberal readings have insisted on.
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