ژاں ژاک روسو کے فکری نظریات کا تجزیہ: مساوات، آزادی اور عوامی اقتدار کے بنیادی و متضاد پہلو

"AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU'S POLITICAL THOUGHT: SURPRISING DIMENSIONS OF EQUALITY, POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY, AND FREEDOM"

Abstract

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778), one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers, introduced radical ideas about human equality, freedom, and popular sovereignty that reshaped the foundations of political philosophy. This paper explores the fundamental and paradoxical aspects of Rousseau’s political thought, with a particular focus on The Social Contract and Discourse on the Origin of Inequality. By analyzing Rousseau’s concept of the "general will," his vision of direct democracy, and his critique of social institutions, the article unveils both the liberatory and authoritarian potentials embedded within his theories. Furthermore, the work engages with critiques from later philosophers such as Isaiah Berlin and Hannah Arendt, revealing how Rousseau's notion of freedom could be interpreted as both empowering and potentially coercive. All quotations are drawn from Rousseau’s original English translations and supplemented by scholarly commentary. This article aims to contribute to contemporary Urdu scholarship by offering a critical, academic, and fully referenced study of Rousseau’s thought within the broader discourse of political philosophy.