In Rousseau’s dedication to Geneva, he describes the city of his birth as being\u00a0the envy of the world in its equality and stability.\u00a0Geneva’s virtues are numerous, including:\u00a0its peaceful nature,\u00a0the justness of its magistrates and the obedience of the people, as well as\u00a0its small size which contributes to a general sense of community spirit. Although the real Geneva of the early 18th century was very different from Rousseau’s idealistic vision, it is possible to see how some\u00a0Rousseau’s views on proper governance might of developed through an examination of Genevan history, especially of its association with Calvinism.<\/p>\n
Since the very beginning, Genevan politics has been a mix of both secular and religious authority. During\u00a0the Middle Ages, Geneva was\u00a0administered by\u00a0the\u00a0Bishop of Geneva while the Counts (later Dukes) of Savoy appointed the Bishops (usually from its own family) and offered military protection. In 1457, an elected body of delegates known as the Grand Council was established. The Council was initially made up of 50 citizens and made political decisions on behalf of the population as well as replacing the Duke in electing new\u00a0Bishops. \u00a0Overtime, the Council and the Dukes of Savoy became estranged from each other and in the early 1500s, the Council tried to gain independence from the Duke of Savoy, even trying to convince the Pope to excommunicate Duke Charles III. Eventually, Geneva succeeded in breaking away from Savoy and became a republic in the Swiss Federation in 1526.<\/p>\n
Around that time,\u00a0an influx of Protestant\u00a0Lutheran\u00a0refugees from France began arriving in Geneva in large numbers and the new faith became popular among the people. There was considerable animosity towards the pro-Savoy Catholic clergy\u00a0(who mainly came from the nobility), eventually\u00a0leading the Council to declare official support for Protestantism. In 1536, every citizen of the city took a public oath to the Protestant faith.<\/p>\n
In that same year, the French reformer John Calvin came to Geneva and was crowned the spiritual leader of the city, becoming the Pope to the city which soon became known as the Protestant Rome. Under his guidance, the Council created the\u00a0Consistory, a court made up of lay elders and ministers which examined a slew of impious behaviour ranging from murder to blasphemy to dancing and playing cards. Genevan became the centre of the new Calvinist tradition, which regarded all human passions and worldly desires as sinful and punished them through severe punishments, which ranged from hanging to public flogging. By the time Rousseau was born, Geneva was no longer a democracy but a theocracy in which the clergy\u00a0held tremendous sway over all aspects of civil and religious life.<\/p>\n
This emphasis on correct behaviour and total obedience\u00a0to the demands of lawmakers\u00a0is clearly reflected in Rousseau’s writing. Like Calvin, Rousseau believed that everyone in a society\u00a0should either accept the established law and\u00a0constitution\u00a0(which he describes “the declaration of the general will”)\u00a0or be ejected from it, as had occurred with the systematic banishment of Catholics in Geneva. Rousseau also\u00a0shared Calvin’s belief\u00a0that government\u00a0should have total jurisdiction over all aspects of life, including making sure that people make use of their liberty to the best of their potential. Despite not being nominally a Calvinist writer (having converted to Catholicism early in life), it is clear that the austere\u00a0totalitarian theocratic\u00a0structure of 18th century Geneva had a considerable influence in Rousseau’s moral development.<\/p>\n
In Rousseau’s dedication to Geneva, he describes the city of his birth as being\u00a0the envy of the world in its equality and stability.\u00a0Geneva’s virtues are numerous, including:\u00a0its peaceful nature,\u00a0the justness of its magistrates and the obedience of the people, as … Continue reading ![\"John_Calvin_07\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a1lieblang\/files\/2015\/11\/John_Calvin_07.jpg\")
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