THE IDEA OF DIVINE RIGHT IN THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEA

J.-J. Rousseau has distinguished himself in the history of political thought as a social contract philosopher who challenged the principle of divine right as the basis of political power. According to this principle power comes from the will of God. For him sovereignty rests on the will of men or the general will. However Rousseau resorts to God to determine the political life of men: ''It would take gods to give laws to men'' (J.-J. Rousseau 1964 p.381). This statement introduces a contradiction into the heart of his political doctrine and leads us to argue that Rousseau remained a supporter of the politics of divine right.