From Library Journal
This book chronicles the transformation of the idea of the "general will" from its theological roots in St. Paul and Augustine to its emergence as a purely political concept. Rousseau, it argues, gave the long-established Christian idea of the general will of God to save all men a permanently secular meaning by placing the common good of the community above the particular will of the individual. Focusing on the century between the death of Pascal, the first great writer on general will, and the publication of The Social Contract , the book brilliantly illustrates the evolution of this idea as the older religious world-view gradually gave way. An important work of intellectual history, highly recommended for academic libraries. Raymond Frey, Philosophy and Religion Dept., Montclair State Coll., Upper Montclair, N.J.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
