Legislatore e socievolezza nel Contratto sociale di Rousseau

The figure of the legislator is one of the most controversial elements of Rousseau's entire political system. It is a symptom of difficulties: safeguard the contents of the social pact from possible degeneration and ensure that the general will can be translated into effective criteria for the deci- sions of citizens, who are called upon to be their own legislators. In this paper, it is hypothesized that the legislator is called upon to carry out a work of transformation of mankind that finds its profound reason in the failure to develop sociability in human beings. For this purpose, an ana- lysis of Rousseau's anthropology is indispensable. Furthermore, it is necessary to dwell on Rous- seau's constant criticism of the Enlightenment. The issue reveals some peculiar profiles of Rous- seau's thought such as, not least, a latent disillusionment.