Jean-Jacques Rousseau · Complete work
Book II, Chapter 3
Book II, Chapter 3 of 49. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal French
Si la volonté générale peut errer.
Il s’ensuit de ce qui précede que la volonté générale est toujours droite & tend toujours à l’utilité publique: mais il ne s’ensuit pas que les déliberations du peuple aient toujours la même rectitude. On veut toujours son bien, mais on ne le voit pas toujours: Jamais on ne corrompt le peuple, mais souvent on le trompe, & c’est alors seulement qu’il paroit vouloir ce qui est mal.
Il y a souvent bien de la différence entre la volonté de tous & la volonté générale; celle-ci ne regarde qu’à l’intérêt commun, l’autre regarde à l’intérêt privé, & n’est qu’une somme de volontés particulieres; mais ôtez de ces mêmes volontés les plus & les moins qui s’entredétruisent, reste pour somme des différences la volonté générale.
Si, quand le peuple suffisamment informé délibére, les Citoyens n’avoient aucune communication entre eux, du grand nombre de petites différences résulteroit toujours la volonté générale, & la délibération seroit toujours bonne. Mais quand il se fait des brigues, des associations partielles aux dépends de la grande, la volonté de chacune de ces associations devient générale par rapport à ses membres, & particuliere par rapport à l’Etat; on peut dire alors qu’il n’y a plus autant de votans que d’hommes, mais seulement autant que d’associations. Les différences deviennent moins nombreuses & donnent un résultat moins général. Enfin quand une de ces associations est si grande qu’elle l’emporte sur toutes les autres, vous n’avez plus pour résultat une somme de petites différences, mais une différence unique; alors il n’y a plus de volonté générale, & l’avis qui l’emporte n’est qu’un avis particulier.
Il importe donc pour avoir bien l’énoncé de la volonté générale qu’il n’y ait pas de société partielle dans l’Etat & que chaque Citoyen n’opine que d’après lui. Telle fut l’unique & sublime institution du grand Lycurgue. Que s’il y a des sociétés partielles, il en faut multiplier le nombre & en prévenir l’inégalité, comme firent Solon, Numa, Servius. Ces précautions sont les seules bonnes pour que la volonté générale soit toujours éclairée, & que le peuple ne se trompe point.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the complete French text of the 1762 edition, all four books and the appendix for fidelity, the author’s force and cadence, and modern clarity.
Whether the General Will Can Err.
It follows from what precedes that the general will is always right and always tends toward the public good; but it does not follow that the people's deliberations are always equally right. We always want what is good for us, but we do not always see it. The people are never corrupted, but often deceived; and only then do they appear to will what is bad.
There is often a great difference between the will of all and the general will. The latter looks only to the common interest; the former looks to private interest and is merely a sum of private wills. But take away from these same wills the pluses and minuses that cancel one another, and the general will remains as the sum of the differences.
If, when a sufficiently informed people deliberated, the Citizens had no communication with one another, the great number of small differences would always produce the general will, and the deliberation would always be sound. But when factions form, when smaller associations arise at the expense of the greater one, the will of each association becomes general in relation to its members and private in relation to the State. One can then say that there are no longer as many voters as there are men, but only as many as there are associations. The differences grow fewer and yield a less general result. Finally, when one of these associations becomes so large that it outweighs all the others, the result is no longer a sum of small differences but a single difference; then there is no longer a general will, and the opinion that prevails is merely a private opinion.
It is therefore important, if the general will is to be properly expressed, that there be no partial society within the State and that each Citizen give his opinion only for himself. Such was the unique and sublime institution of the great Lycurgus. But if there are partial societies, their number must be multiplied and inequality among them prevented, as Solon, Numa, and Servius did. These are the only sound precautions to ensure that the general will is always enlightened and that the people are not deceived.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the complete French text of the 1762 edition, all four books and the appendix.
Can the General Will Be Mistaken?
What I have said shows that the general will is always right and always aims at the public good. But it does not follow that the people's decisions are always right. People always want what is good for them, but they do not always see what that is. The people are never corrupted, but they are often deceived. Only then do they appear to want what is bad.
There is often a big difference between the will of all and the general will. The general will looks only to the common interest. The will of all looks to private interests and is simply the sum of private wills. But take away from these wills the pluses and minuses that cancel each other out. The sum of the differences that remains is the general will.
Suppose the people had enough information when they made decisions, and citizens had no communication with one another. Their many small differences would always produce the general will, and the decision would always be good. But when factions form, creating smaller associations at the expense of the larger one, each association's will becomes general for its members but private in relation to the State. Then we can say there are no longer as many voters as people, but only as many as there are associations. There are fewer differences, and the result is less general. Finally, when one association grows so large that it outweighs all the others, the result is no longer a sum of small differences but a single difference. Then there is no longer a general will. The opinion that wins is only a private opinion.
So, to express the general will correctly, there must be no smaller associations within the State, and each citizen must give his own opinion. This was the one great and remarkable institution of Lycurgus. If smaller associations do exist, their number must be increased and their inequality prevented, as Solon, Numa, and Servius did. These are the only sound precautions for keeping the general will informed and preventing the people from making mistakes.