Conceptions of Democracy - republicanism

• Major discourses of republicanism were enuniciated by Marsillius of Padua in his defensor Pacis, three main conditions for republican government: 
• Princes chosen by election 
• Opearate within the established law 
• all ruling councils accountable in a system of checks and balances 
• challenged the rule and power of the monarchy 

• Break with medieval thought - focused on man to man relations not god to man. 
• rejected identificaiton of the state with church , state and church distinct. 
• people are better judges of men than princes 
• princes and kings are paranoid 
• a republic allows greater freedom of expression 

in the social contract Rousseau wants to consider: 

• how to avoid men falling into corruption 
• association - principle of unity - foundation of society 
• to move into civil society - individual places all powers under the direction of the general will 
• for Rousseau the move into society is a transcendence of our former selves 

• objective common good distinct from the partciular interests of individuals composing society 
• assumes that in any situation - always some policy that will serve the common good 

Rousseau's problems with the general will: 

• general will , simply not the outcome of whatever the people will - it is decision whcih if enacted sustains society 
• general will has to come from and apply to all 
• freedom and legitimacy easier achieved in small states 
• guard against the emergence of party politics 
• for the general will to emerge , citizens must be present 

• attempts to bring women into political thinking 
• rejected any form of political thinking which subsumed the interests of women under the interests of the male citizen 
• need a knowledgeable citizenry+liberty+equality  - avoid the extremes of poverty and wealth 
• make women rational creatures and free citizens 

• didnt offer alternative model of democracy 
• speaks of need for participation- but does not give a model on how to achieve this 
• addressed her argument to mainly middle class women - ignored working class women 
• said that emancipated women needed female servants- reinforcing the above stated point