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

3.0

Rousseau, mostly known as the title 'the father of romanticism', explores how society should be ruled by the public and not the state or government. His famous line 'one is born free and tied up by society' is echoed throughout the book. Extracts from the "social contract", in itself, suggesting we are part of a business or agreement rather than just living, stating what is the basis of his works, we need to reform society back to the innocence of children. Suggesting the government is almost a middle man between the public and the state and changes our perception of democracy and limits our say in change. According to Rousseau, democracy will never exist instead we will vote or ask for what is merely wanted in society rather than what believe ourselves. Later discussing the faults of Aristocracy and hereditary power instead the government enhances this but the public are left to pick up the mess and agree with them. All citizens of the country are equal in the body politic, agreeing with egalitarianism, and each of us has equal power to change the government, what stops us is society and what they want to hear. The purpose of the state and government is to certify what the public want not to change that as we see today. 3/5