Rigorous Enforcement of Law as a Foundation of Democracy

Using Jean-Jacques Rousseau s General Will as the basis, the research delivers an analysis of the need for everybody to obey societal laws, so as to lay a solid foundation for a civil society. The general belief is that, under a democratic rule, most of the problems of the society could be solved without the use of force. The study articulates the dangers and absurdities involved in this belief. For democracy to be able to play its role as an effective system of governance, it must be based on the rule of law. However, for the rule of law to be able to serve as the backbone of democracy, its principles must be strictly enforced. In his study of human nature, Rousseau discovers that though man is naturally good, but that he also has negative instincts. Through his positive nature, man would obey the societal laws. But the negative instincts in him may also make him to disobey the laws. However, society is made possible when everybody obeys the laws always. The need to force those who refuse to obey the societal laws to do so is the foundation of civil society.