Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of the "general will" refers to the collective will of the citizenry that aims for the common good and the public interest. It is distinct from the individual wills of the people, which may represent personal interests. The general will is meant to reflect what is best for society as a whole, transcending individual desires.
Among your options, the closest interpretation would be:
The political preference of the public.
However, it's important to note that Rousseau emphasized that the general will is not simply an aggregation of individual preferences; rather, it seeks to identify what is in the best interest of the community as a whole.
1 answer