A review by lydia_reads
The Body Politic by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

3.0

"The limits of the possible in moral things are less narrow than we think. It is our weaknesses, our vices and our prejudices that shrink them. Mean spirits do not believe in great men at all; vile slaves smile mockingly at the word liberty."

If only possibility translated easily into reality.
Rousseau's analysis of the political climate of his day is surprisingly applicable to our current global situation. His summary is scarily accurate and his solutions wonderfully idyllic if only they were likely to happen. Whilst I concur with nearly all of his model for the perfect political system, he is certainly more optimistic than I am in his assertion that it is entirely possible. Rousseau can forsee a world without greed, malice, pride or personal ambition which seems a great distance away from the grasp of humankind even 250 years after the publication of this work.
I am more inclined to agree with his observation from earlier in this work that "no true Democracy has ever existed, nor ever will exist." Still, it's nice to dream...