Political equality according to Mill and Rousseau: what is the contemporary relevance of these thinkers?

Docs en anglais | 8 pages | 04-06-2008 | Format : | Note : Non noté

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Résumé

The concept of Equality is one of the most famous as well as one of the most contested in political science. In its broader sense, Equality involves a comparison between two or more persons or objects; it is the fact of granting people with the same things or not to present differences in certain fields. Over time, the concept has been the subject of analysis for many political thinkers and has acquired different meanings. At the end of the 18th century, both the American Revolution (1776) and the French Revolution (1789) praised the right of equality amongst all individual and it has now become one of the founding concepts of our traditional western liberal democracies to which we set very high standards. The concept of Equality is very controversial regarding its notion, principles, values and fields. Its notion covers a range of different realities but when talking about Political equality, one refers to the citizen's status in an organised society and his entitlement to political rights. Amongst many thinkers, both Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) have approached, through different perspectives, the topic of equality - or inequality - in its broader sense including in its political field.

An analyse of both Rousseau's and Mill's approaches to political equality is first going to be made in order to understand their views; their proposed remedies are then going to be seen to finally appreciate the relevance and the impact they may have in the contemporary debate.

Table of contents:

Introduction

I) Political equality for Rousseau

A. State of Nature
B. General Will

II) Mill compared with Rousseau

A. Mill and his utilitarian notion of liberty, Harm Principle
B. Woman in politics

III) Contemporary relevance of both thinkers

Conclusion
Bibliography

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