“ROUSSEAU SET ME ARIGHT” – THE LEGACY OF ROUSSEAU IN KANT’S LEGAL AND POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND THE IDEALIZATION OF THE VOLONTÉ GÉNÉRALE

Abstract

The article tries to expose the relationship between Rousseau and Kant with regard to the concept of the general will. In part I, it is analyzed, what is the central theme in Rousseau's Contrat social, i. e. the reconciliation of freedom to authority.Then (in part II) the article is concerned with the question, how Rousseau's concept of the general will has influenced the constitutional law of Immanuel Kant. In part III it is discussed, how Kant has changed the theory of the general will in order tocombine it with a representative constitution of the republic.