THE COMMUNION OF CITIZENS: CALVINIST THEMES IN ROUSSEAU'S THEORY OF THE STATE

In: Polity: the journal of the Northeastern Political Science Association, Band 26, Heft 1, S. 25-50

Abstract

SCHOLARLY TREATMENTS OF THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU HAVE NEGLECTED THE INFLUENCE OF CALVINIST IDEAS ON HIS THEORY OF THE STATE. THIS ARTICLE ARGUES THAT ROUSSEAU'S POLITICAL THOUGHT WAS SHAPED IN PART BY HIS EXPERIENCES GROWING UP IN CALVINIST GENEVA AND THAT HE ADAPTED AND TRANSFORMED GENEVAN CALVINIST THEMES IN HIS POLITICAL THOUGHT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE AUTHOR RECOGNIZES THAT ROUSSEAU AS DEEPLY CONFLICTED ABOUT GENEVAN CALVINISM, AND CONCLUDES WITH COMMENTARY OF THE IRONY OF ROUSSEAU'S CALVINIST CONNECTION.