How did Jean-Jacques Rousseau's idea of the general will influence political thought?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s concept of the general will fundamentally reshaped political thought by positing that legitimate authority and laws must be rooted in the collective interest of the citizenry rather than the whims of a ruler.1

In his work The Social Contract, Rousseau argued that by participating in the formation of the general will, individuals act as members of a republic, effectively obeying themselves when they follow the law. This framework shifted the focus of political legitimacy toward popular sovereignty, asserting that government is only legitimate when it remains subordinate to the people's collective will.1

His ideas had a profound impact on modern republican thought, most notably influencing the French Revolution. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789) explicitly defined law as the expression of the general will, a principle that remains a cornerstone of the French Constitution. While some critics have historically labeled his ideas as authoritarian, scholars emphasize that Rousseau’s primary aim was the preservation of civil liberty and autonomy through democratic participation.12