Study On The Rousseau's Social Contract Theory Of Political Legitimacy

The political legitimacy is a very important issue in the Rousseau's politicalthoughts. The study of the Political legitimacy is of profound theoretical and practicalsignificance. The Rousseau put forward the theory of social contract is to pursue thepolitical legitimacy. The political legitimacy is a kind of rationality and legitimacywhich is based on the people's recognition. Rousseau's political legitimacy thoughtsinclude three main parts: the legal power is different from the strong power. Equality isthe standard to judge whether the politics has the political legitimacy. Freedom is theguideline to realize the political legitimacy. The forming process of the social contracttheory is a kind of logical deduction process of the political legitimacy. Natural law isthe logical starting point of the social contract theory. But the social contract theory isthe extensions of nature law. The social contract theory lays the theoretical foundationof the thoughts of political legitimacy.Rousseau's political legitimacy thought is analyzed from general will and popularsovereignty. General will focus the common will which is beyond common interest. Itsprings from the activity to realize common benefit which participated by the masses.General will laid a good foundation for the political legitimacy, mainly on meetingbenefit, legality, effectiveness and moral quality. Popular sovereignty which is theapplication of general will is nonnegotiable and inalienable. State sovereignty shouldreside with the people and guide by general will of people. The gain of statesovereignty is mainly reflected at creating laws, appointing government official anddeciding others public affairs. The necessity of political legitimacy is that people holdssovereign power.Rousseau's political legitimacy thought has important historical value. Thethoughts of democracy, freedom, and equality of Rousseau's sharply criticized thefeudal despotism. It has far reaching effects on the social thought of18th century inFrench, the French bourgeois revolution and the development of the theory of modernpolitical legitimacy. The people's sovereignty and general will thought is the foundation of forming the political legitimacy. So we should adhere to the principle ofsovereignty on people and respect the public will, building the solid foundation of themasses of the people for political identity. As it's the fundamental to construct ourgovernment with political legitimacy.