Abstract:
Author of the arcitle discusses the dualism of concepts of authority present in
Rousseau’s writings. The reason of such situation is the wide spectrum of possible
interpretions of the place and role played by the concept of general will in the
philosophical heritige of the Genevian thinker. There are at least three ways of understanding the concept. The first, metaphysical, suggests that the community is
a being ontologicaly autonomous from its participants. The second, legaly‑political,
defines volonté générale as a particular form of the political order, i.e. the one, which
by including everyone into legislative process, automatically refrains them from
seeking privileges. The third interpretation, ethical, while turning attention to the
citizens’ moral disposition, requires full identification of their personal interests
with the common good. The two last modes of understanding the general will are
fully responsible for the duality of the popular estimations of Rousseau’s political
thought. The vision of community resulting from the acceptance of legaly‑political
interpretation, embodies the perfect democracy, which author may be seen as a father
of the democratic liberalism. Ethical version of volonté générale results with an
ideal of classical πόλις, which nowadays inevitably forces unpleasant associations
with totalitarian regimes.
