Rousseau, Appetite, and the Logic of Slavery: Republican Freedom as Self-Rule Introduction Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s political philosophy is constructed upon a sharp distinction between natural impulse and moralized autonomy. His assertion in The Social Contract—that obedience to appetite is a form of slavery while obedience to the self-legislated general will is freedom—appears paradoxical when viewed through … Continue reading How does Rousseau’s equating of appetite-driven behaviour with slavery illuminate his broader conception of republican freedom? Examine how Rousseau’s formulation prefigures the republican ideal of self-mastery as a precondition for civic virtue.