Political And Social Ideas Of Montesquieu And Rousseau Social Paper

POLITICAL AND SOCIAL IDEAS OF MONTESQUIEU AND ROUSSEAU
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Introduction
The enlightenment was a crucial period in the history of the western world. This era is also called the age of reason because it is during this period in history that philosophers started questioning an old order that had defined the society for ages. Before the age of enlightenment, the society was led by kings whose rule was unquestionable. Enlightenment thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes, Jean Rousseau, John Locke, and Baron Montesquieu sparked the reasoning of the society and made the majority of the ruled start questioning legibility of kings. The French Revolution and the American Revolution are attributed to the political and social ideas that emanated from the era of enlightenment. Political revolutions were impactful because they established new social and political order that has impacted the whole world today. Baron Montesquieu and Jean Rousseau are two of the Enlightenment political philosophers that narrowed their ideas on the relationship between the government and the government. The present study compares and contrasts the political and social ideas of Montesquieu and Rousseau.[Thomas, Paine. The age of reason. (Secacaus, N.J: Citadel Press, 1807), 33]
Before delving into the understanding of the political and social philosophies of Rousseau and Montesquieu, it is important that one understands their brief history and how their environment shaped their political ideologies. Montesquieu was a French political philosopher born in Bordeaux, France. Montesquieu’s work was mainly compiled in his book The Spirit of Laws which emphasized the role of man and natural, inalienable rights. His political and social ideas were mainly responsible for the formation of most western governments with a key emphasis on the separation of powers within governments. He emphasized the success of a government on the application of scientific knowledge where a systematic balance of power ensured equality in the government and its citizens. His main argument was the application of scientific knowledge by breaking down the main government into branches with every branch holding a constitutional responsibility of maintaining a system of check and balance over the other. Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland and lived as a French philosopher during the age of enlightenment. Unlike Montesquieu, who had studied law, Rousseau studied political science, and his thoughts were compiled in his study and observance of the government. His main work was compiled in The Social Contract where he argued that a government is an agreement between the citizens and the government. The government is a servant to the citizens, and they hold the right to dissolve it any time they feel that it is failing to meet its obligation.
Similarities between Political and Social Ideas of Montesquieu and Rousseau
Both Montesquieu and Rousseau held similar ideas on the type of the government, they championed, even though they came from different backgrounds. Rousseau was a commoner and Montesquieu from the nobbling background, but both believed in the form of the government that was controlled by popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty implied that pow...