ABSTRACT
Onlybecausemenneednotbealwaysutterlyandnecessarily Hobbesianwolves,doesthepossibilityofafreepoliticalorder exist,andthesolutionofferedbyHobbestotheproblemof politicsisnotuniversallyvalid.Rousseau'smaindispute·with HobbesandMandevilleisthatneitherofthemhasdrawnattentiontothedutiesofmanandthenecessityofvirtue,but ratherhasassumedhisdepravedconditiontobethe"natural" oneandevenjustifiedi t as"advantageous."4Thisfundamental rejectionofMandevillealsogivesrise,inmyview,toarejection ofthetheoriesofthephysiocrats,whowerelaterintroducedto RousseaubyMirabeautheelder,butwhomheencountered withapolitereserve.LikeAdamSmith,Quesneyandhisfollowerswereconvincedthattheindividualadvantageofthe enlightenedrationalman(ofwhateverestate)incivilsociety wouldbecompletelyidenticalwiththegreatestpossiblecommongood,andthatitwasthusonlyaquestionofaiding"reason" tocomeintobeinginordertofoundastableandgenerally satisfyingpoliticalandsocialorder.Hence,theydidnotregard theird e s p o t i s m e legalasathreattofreedomsinceitwaspracticedinthenameofeconomicreasonandwouldbeunderthe controlofthecompletelyrationalenlightenedcitizens.Rousseau rejectedthistheory,aboveallbecauseitascribedtoolittlepower tohumanpassionsandtoomuchtohumanreason.5Butthe passions,intheformtheydevelopundertheconditionsofmodernsociety,leadtodisputationandenmityandnottotheassumptionofageneralandrationalorder. 6Reasoncanonly helptofoundacommunitywhenitreleasesloveoforderina
"virtuousheart,"butamidthepowersunleashedincontemporary Frenchsociety,thatisnolongerpossible.
