Jurisprudence

Part A

1. True
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True

Part B

Enlightenment Ideals Espoused By Kant and Rousseau

Enlightenment is often associated with political revolutions ideals that led to the French Revolution of 1789.  The energy and vigor that was expressed and created by intellectual thinkers contributed to the social wave of unrest in the eighteenth century in France. Rousseau and Emmanuel Kant, through their ideals, also played a role in this social unrest. One of the ideals espoused by Rousseau is the social contract theory. He outlined this idea as “a legitimate political order that should be within a framework of classical republicanism.” He stipulated that one of the best ways to establish a political community is in the face of problems of a commercial society. His ideal helped inspire many political revolutions and reforms across Europe (Garsten, Brooke, & Wokler, 2014). The theory was against the idea of monarchs having the power to legislate. He argued that only the people had that power and right to legislate. Additionally, Roseau also propagated the ideal of the general will. The ideal stipulated that power rested in the will of the people.

Emmanuel Kant, in his arguments, stated that enlightenment is when a person grows out of his self imposed immaturity. He espoused the idea of freedom of thought by people when making decisions without relying on the ideas of other people. According to him, freedom plays a significant role in the enlightenment of a person (Mngadi, 2018). Additionally, he stipulates that “immaturity among people in a nation arises from the formulas and rules that bind people.” Therefore, according to him, a person who dares defy the formulas and rules will be taking a small step towards maturity. Furthermore, he holds that only a few people have managed to emerge from immaturity by cultivating their minds.

Are these ideas/norms still relevant today?

The norms and ideals propagated by Kant and Rousseau are still relevant today. The idea of the social contract, as espoused by Rousseau still impacts on modern governments through the advancement of social contract philosophy. Most countries in the world today are democratic, just as indicated in the social contract theory. Additionally, the general will idea which he also propagated is applicable in the modern world (Bërdufi & Dushi, 2015). Rousseau stated that ‘no government that is legitimate should exist without the general will of the people.’ Most governments today are formed after elections have been conducted, and people have had the right to choose who is to govern them. Kant’s idea of pure reason is also applicable in today’s world because many organizations, governments, and institutions promote the idea of freedom of thought. Discussions and debates are also held today to encourage reasoning and deliberation of ideas on several issues such as politics, business and law (Cunneff, 2018).

References

Bërdufi, N., & Dushi, D. (2015). ocial Contract and the Governments Legitimacy. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(31), 391-398.

Cunneff, T. (2018, October 10). How an 18th-Century Philosopher is Still Relevant in the 21st Century. Retrieved from https://today.cofc.edu/2018/10/10/immanuel-kant-doctrine-of-right/

Garsten, B., Brooke, C., & Wokler, R. (2014). Rousseau, the Age of Enlightenment, and Their Legacies. London: Oxford University Press.

Mngadi, A. (2018). The Philosophy of Immanuel Kant. Kant’s Contribution to the Enlightenment Period. Munich: Grin Verlag.

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