Democracy and the general will: a Rousseauian response to Schumpeter

Joseph Schumpeter's famous Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy articulates a minimalist theory of democracy that he contrasts with what he calls the 'classical doctrine of democracy.' This 'classical doctrine' appears to be a thinly veiled democratic interpretation of Rousseau's social contract, although Schumpeter rarely mentions Rousseau. The use of the concept of the general will, including the direct use of the French phrase volonte generale often associated with Rousseau, makes this apparent. Although Rousseau seems on the surface an odd choice as the archetypal democrat, Schumpeter's reading of him has some merit; Rousseau's social contract can be a democratic society in a certain sense ofthe word. Rousseau, furthermore, provides an adequate defense against the criticisms Schumpeter makes against his theory. This article uses Rousseau's ideas to argue against Schumpeter's minimalist model and in favor of what he calls the classical doctrine ofdemocracy. Keywords: Political Theory, Democracy and Civil Society, Participation/Citizenship, General Will. El famoso trabajo de Schumpeter Capitalismo, Socialismo y Democracia expresa una teoria de la democracia minimalista que el contrasta con lo que llama la 'teoria clasica de la democracia.' Esta 'doctrina clasica'parece ser una interpretation encubierta del contrato social de Rousseau. El uso del concepto de la voluntad general, incluyendo el uso directo de la frase francesa volonte generale,a menudo asociada a Rousseau, hace esto aparente. Aunque a primera vista Rousseau parece una election extraha como el democrata ideal, la interpretacion de Schumpeter tiene su merito; el contrato social de Rousseau puede ser de cierto modo una sociedad democratica, ademas, provee una defensa adecuada en contra de las criticas que Schumpeter hace de su teoria. Este articulo utiliza las ideas de Rousseau para argumentar en contra del modelo minimalista de Schumpeter y apoyar lo que el llamaba la doctrina clasica de la democracia.
Joseph Schumpeter s Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy (2008) articulates a critique of and an alternative to classical versions of liberal democracy. There is much to praise in his minimalist model [...]