Page 149 - DPOL201_WESTERN_POLITICAL_THOUGHT_ENGLISH

Unit 8: Jean Jacques Rousseau

work prudence, tranquility, order and rule. Montesquieu’s defence of manufactures, commerce, Notes
finance, riches and even luxury enabled him to not only take his stand with the moderns and
against the Greeks but also influence Bentham and Kant to regard trade and commerce as the basis
of perpetual peace. Voltaire poked fun at the two kings each of whom had Te Deums sung in his
own camp after the battle and defends a republican government as it allows people to constantly
renew the sovereign power, a point central to the Kantian thesis for perpetual peace. Voltaire was
ambivalent about people’s right to revolt and dismiss an unjust ruler. Despite considering the
republican government as the ideal he supported constitutional monarchy ruled by an enlightened
despot.
The eighteenth century was full of projects for abolishing war and establishing peace, namely that
of Cruce Le Nouveau Cynee or The New Cyneas (1623), Penn ’s Essay toward the Present and Future
Peace of Europe (1693), St. Pierre’s A Project for Making Peace Perpetual in Europe (1713), Rousseau’s
A Lasting Peace through the Federation of Europe (1774), Kant’s Perpetual Peace (1795) and Bentham’s
Plan for a Universal and Perpetual Peace (1789). Cruce suggested that armies should be abolished and
called for a world court. Cruce’s importance was his foresight that international organizations
were crucial to solve international disputes. Among the various peace plans Penn was the pioneer
to have envisioned disarmament as the most effective guarantee for international peace. He stressed
the importance of peace in view of the suffering and destruction that war entails. War could be
prevented within a framework of justice for both individuals and groups if conflicts could be
resolved in a fair way. Justice could be ensured if governments enforced laws impartially. For
mamtaining peace in Europe, he proposed a Sovereign Parliament of European states to decide
disputes collectively and enforce decisions though states could still maintain their sovereignty in
internal matters, thus anticipating the European Union.
Rousseau like Abbe de St. Pierre’s (1658-1743) believed that federation established lasting peace.
He summarized Pierre’s voluminous plans and pointed out that while private wars have been
prevented with the institution of governments, larger wars could be prevented with the formation
of a federation that would unite nations just as nations, unite individuals under the authority of
law. He observed that such an arrangement was not new as it existed, in an embryonic form, in the
Germanic Body, the Helvetic League, and the States General of the Netherlands, and the ancients
had the Greek Amphictyons, the Etruscan Lucumonies, Latin feriae, and the city leagues of the
Gauls. For the success of the federation, Rousseau stipulated four necessary conditions: (1) every
important power must be a member; (2) the laws they legislate must be binding; (3) a coercive
force must be capable of compelling every state to obey the common resolves; and (4) no member
may be allowed to withdraw.
Rousseau’s plan consisted of five articles. The first will set up a permanent alliance with a congress
to settle and terminate by arbitration or judicial pronouncement all conflicts. The second will
decide which nations shall have a vote, how the presidency shall pass from one to another and
how the contribution quotas shall be raised to provide for common expenses. The third declared
the permanence of existing boundaries. The fourth specified how violators shall be banned and
forced to comply by the means of the arms of all the confederates. The fifth recommended majority
vote to begin with but three quarters after five years and unanimity to change the articles.
Rousseau explained how his plan would remove the six motives that lead to war and these
motives could be (1) to make conquests, (2) to protect themselves from aggression, (3) to weaken
further a powerful neighbour, (4) to maintain their rights against attack, (5) to settle a difference
which has defied friendly negotiation and (6) to fulfil some treaty obligations. Rousseau was
confident that with the exception of conquest the federation will be able to accomplish all the other
purposes and even in conquest it will be able to deter by marshalling all the powers against the
aggressors. Rousseau listed many of the evils and dangers that prevailed in Europe of his time,
such as injustice because of might, insecurity of nations, military expenses due to external attacks

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