Can the General Will Be Wrong?

It follows from what has gone before that the general will is always right and tends to the public advantage; but it does not follow that the deliberations of the people are always equally correct. Our will is always for our own good, but we do not always see what that is; the people is never corrupted, but it is often deceived, and on such occasions only does it seem to will what is bad.

What we have already established shows that the general will is always right and aims at the public good. But the people’s decisions are not always equally correct. We always want what is good for us, but we do not always see what our good is. The people are never corrupted, but they are often deceived. Only when deceived do the people seem to want what is bad.

There is often a great deal of difference between the will of all and the general will; the latter considers only the common interest, while the former takes private interest into account, and is no more than a sum of particular wills: but take away from these same wills the pluses and minuses that cancel one another,¹ and the general will remains as the sum of the differences.

There is often a large difference between the will of all and the general will. The general will considers only the common interest. The will of all takes private interests into account and is nothing more than the sum of individual wills. But remove from these individual wills the pluses and minuses that cancel each other out,¹ and the general will remains. It is the sum of the differences.

If, when the people, being furnished with adequate information, held its deliberations, the citizens had no communication one with another, the grand total of the small differences would always give the general will, and the decision would always be good. But when factions arise, and partial associations are formed at the expense of the great association, the will of each of these associations becomes general in relation to its members, while it remains particular in relation to the State: it may then be said that there are no longer as many votes as there are men, but only as many as there are associations. The differences become less numerous and give a less general result. Lastly, when one of these associations is so great as to prevail over all the rest, the result is no longer a sum of small differences, but a single difference; in this case there is no longer a general will, and the opinion which prevails is purely particular.

If the people had enough information when they deliberated, and citizens did not communicate with one another, the outcome would always be good. The sum of their small differences would always produce the general will, and the decision would always be good. But when factions arise, smaller associations form at the expense of the larger association. Each group’s will becomes general in relation to its members, but remains particular in relation to the State. We may then say there are no longer as many votes as people, but only as many as groups. The differences become fewer, and the result is less general. Finally, when one group becomes powerful enough to prevail over all the others, the result changes. It is no longer a sum of small differences, but a single difference. In this case, there is no longer a general will, and the prevailing opinion represents only a particular interest.

It is therefore essential, if the general will is to be able to express itself, that there should be no partial society within the State, and that each citizen should think only his own thoughts:² which was indeed the sublime and unique system established by the great Lycurgus. But if there are partial societies, it is best to have as many as possible and to prevent them from being unequal, as was done by Solon, Numa and Servius. These precautions are the only ones that can guarantee that the general will shall be always enlightened, and that the people shall in no way deceive itself.

For the general will to express itself, there must therefore be no separate groups within the State. Each citizen must think for himself:² this was the remarkable and unique system established by the great Lycurgus. But if separate groups exist, there should be as many as possible, and inequalities between them should be prevented. Solon, Numa and Servius took this approach. These precautions alone can ensure that the general will is always well-informed and that the people never deceive themselves.