Rousseau, Rio, and the Green Economy

Authors

  • Carlos Lopes Cape Town University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23925/1806-9029.2018v30i2p5-21

Keywords:

social contract, collective action, governance, justice

Abstract

The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau emerges as the most compelling and seminal piece of political theory. It explores legitimate political order in the context of classical republicanism. This paper delves into the following questions around Rousseau’s thesis: What would Rousseau make of the contemporary multilateralist surveillance regime, gridlocked in key areas that have direct links with human security? How would he square with a society that seems to be at odds with the nature– society equilibrium that he staunchly advocated for? Will Rousseau be able to lift today’s generation out of the collective myopia that focuses on individualism as the gateway to a prosperous future?

Published

2019-02-05

How to Cite

Lopes, C. (2019). Rousseau, Rio, and the Green Economy. Research &Amp; Debate Journal of the Postgraduate Program in Political Economy, 30(2(54). https://doi.org/10.23925/1806-9029.2018v30i2p5-21

Issue

Section

Papers