Will the Minority Be Oppressed by the Social Contract?

A detailed Summary of Will the Minority Be Oppressed by the Social Contract?

According to the question that is given above this paper will attempt to show that, the minority will be oppressed by the social contract as Rousseau claimed in his book that a private contract made within minorities would be illegitimate and damage the main social contract.

My thesis has three parts, the first part analyzes the illegitimacy of the private contracts that are made within the minorities and the second part focuses on the damage that the private contract causes on the society and the last part justifies the oppression upon the minorities. I will defend each part with a separate argument.

First of all, I want to focus on the meaning of oppression. Generally, it is the condition of keeping down by ruling unjustly or cruelly. With respect to this meaning, Rousseau's social contract contains oppression upon minorities according to my thesis. However, the oppression occurs in a different manner where the cruelty or the unjust treat to them cannot be seen clearly. In other words, the prevention upon minorities' opinions indicates the oppression which I try to justify.

There are two reasons why oppression occurs. The first reason is that the minority has to accept the laws which are made by the majority. The social

My second argument is about the influence that a powerful minority would cause upon the state and the social contract. First of all, the question of why such a powerful minority would affect the social contract should be answered. In order to become powerful, the minority should primarily become united. Then they would have a will other than the general will and as a consequence disputes may arise. Therefore, the social contract would be affected in a negative way because the general will and the will of the minority would contradict each other. As we said the minority would become powerful, the social bond would be weakened so that the social contract would be damaged. This means, the will of the minority would become dominant and influence the general will. We can apply to Rousseau's own words to mention this point where he says; "But when the social bond begins to grow slack and the state to grow weak, when private interests begin to influence the larger one, the common interest deteriorates and encounters opponents, unanimity no longer prevails in the voting, the general will is no longer the will of all..." (Rousseau's Political Writings, BookIV,chp.1,p.149)

A possible objection against to this argument might state that; the social contract does not reflect the ideas of the minority, therefore the minority should be able to find another way of expressing their thoughts and choices. They should try to influence the majority and as a result of this act, they may gain the right to live according to their free will, so they will not be oppressed by the social contract. My reply to such an objection is what I have mentioned in my second argument which states that when the minorities begin trying to express their ideas and influence the majority, the social contract starts to lose its effect. Disputes and contradictory views would arise within the society and this would create problems. Everyone would try to be a rule- maker himself and this would ruin the unity and the stregth of the state. Consequently, the social contract would be damaged.

With respect to Rousseau's social contract, whenever minorities would make a private contract and their own laws, it would be seen as an illegitimate act because majority would think that those acts would damage their own bond among the social contract. Rousseau explained this point by saying; "Furthermore, it stands to reason that this contract between the people and such and such persons would be a particular act. Whence it follows that this contract cannot be a law or an act of sovereignity, and that it would, as a consequence, be illegitimate. (Rous

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Approximate Word count = 1765
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

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