ABSTRACT
Rousseauhadnosympathyforthefreedomofthebourgeois liberalbecauseheknewthatitwasthisfreedomthatsetthe dynamicsofsocial-economicdevelopmentinmotionandthus destroyedthatvery" h e u r e u s e m e d i o c r e t e " whichhewasconvincedwastheonlysolidbasisforthetrueRepublic.Inhis L e t t r e s d e laM o n t a g n e , hescornfullyaddresseshisfellowcountrymen:"Vousetesdesmarchands,desartisans,desbourgeois ...pourquilal i b e r t e n ' e s t q u ' u n m o y e n d ' a c q u e r i r s a n s o b - s t a c l e etdep o s s e d e r e n s u r e t e . " 28
Rousseau,ashasbeenalreadypointedout,haddoubtsabout thisfreedomtoacquirewealthbecausehecouldneverseehow totalproductioncanincreaseandtheg e n e r a l welfareflourish i f s i n g l e citizensextendtheiradvantageovertheirfellows.His modeloftheeconomyiscompletelystatic,andinsuchascheme theonecanonlyprofitattheexpenseoftheothers,andall acquisitiono£wealthappearsasrobbery.Thephysiocrats,onthe contrary,arguedforthemaximumuseofcapitalbecausethey believedthatthiswouldbeintheinterestoftheentirepopulation.Rousseaujudgedbourgeoissocietyinmoral,thephysiocrats ineconomic,categories.Themoralistrejectsthefreeextension ofthedesireforgainaspernicious;theeconomistrecognizes thatitistheconditionofeconomicprogress.Rousseauwasaware ofthisconflictandwasconscious,atleastindirectly,ofthefact thatthedaysofhisvirtuouslittleRepublicswerenumberedand thatthewheelofhistorywasgrindingoverthem.Hislatersense ofresignation,inmyopinion,isnotsimplytheexpressionof hisownmoodbutalsotheresultofseeingwhatlittleprospect hispoliticalandmoralidealhadofrealization.Thelettersto Mirabeauareaclearindicationofthis.TheessayonPoland, writtenlongafterthiscorrespondence,isindicationenoughthat hispoliticalinterestwasnotdead.Rousseauneitherwas,nor wishedtobe,thetheoristofthekindofdemocracythatispossibleinmodernbourgeoissociety.Headvocatedtheclassical
ideasofdirectdemocracy,whichhedescribedashis"Republic," andtriedtoreplacetheslave-owningcitizensofGreeceand Romewithp e t i t b o u r g e o i s , peasants,andcraftsmenwhoselimited leisurenecessitatedthemostsimplelegislationpossible,butlegislationwhichseemedsufficientforthemtogainanadequate politicaleducation.
