Voltaire and Rousseau - opionions on the French Revolution

VOLTAIRE vs. ROUSSEAU: OPINIONS ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION The French revolutionary cry for "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" reverberates throughout the ghostly meeting hall where Voltaire and Rousseau sit down to discuss issues such as the rights of man and the role of government. They argue violently on some topics, such as the definition of free will and general will, while concurring on ideas such as the importance of reasoning and logic in society. The discussion divides …

…state must remember what is good for the entire group and not separate politics from morality. Although Voltaire and Rousseau had different ideas of an effective form of government, both believed that man was basically good and deserved the rights of freedom, equality and just rule. As long as men used rationality to make decisions, they could have political power and economic freedom, as well as liberty to take actions without infringing on others rights.