A Natural Right to Housing (part 4c): Rousseau

In part 4a, I outlined Rousseau's thoughts about the natural state of humans, namely that we are equal by nature, that we form societies initially for social purposes, that the division of labor introduces the concept of property, and that governments are formed by the wealthy to protect their property. In part 4b, I outlined Rousseau's thoughts about the role of government - government should avoid the arrangements that allow for the creation of inequality, let alone be progressive about reversing it. Now, in part 4c, I'll discuss his On Social Contract, the primary work for which he is known and which outlines what he considers a legitimate government to be.

Rousseau reestablishes an earlier claim that the persons are endowed with a desire for self-preservation (and that this endowment is inalienable), that power or strength is not a legitimate source of governance, and that agreements are the basis of authority among persons. He claims that legitimate authority comes when "each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme control of the general will, and, as a body, we receive each members as an indivisible part of the whole." In this way, Rousseau argues that a "houses make the town but that citizens make the city."

On the issue of property, Rousseau's perspective regarding governments becomes more assertive. Previously, he argued that government was unjustly formed to protect the property of the wealthy. In the Discourse on Political Economy his emphasis shifted to a more active and assertive role for government in creating equality. In On Social Contract, he argues that every man has a right to what he needs, no man is just in claiming more, and that the community governed by laws assures us all of possession of at least something. But, he argues that such possession is always subordinate to the community's right to everything (e.g. imminent domain).

Rousseau then goes on to discuss issues less applicable to my subject (i.e. executive power and legislative power). He concludes by saying that good government can be measured and ranked very easily - look at where the population increases naturally ("statisticians, it is now up to you; count, measure, compare.").

So where does Rousseau conclude on my question of a natural right to housing? Given his explicit earlier writings regarding shelter as being something that is freely available from nature, he seems to believe it is a "natural right" but also something that has already been provided and therefore needs no intervention from human kind. Many of his arguments lean towards economic equality, with government being the institution that provides the foundation for this to occur. In this sense, to have a person ill-housed while others are well-housed would be counter to Rousseau's philosophy.

In part 5, I'll conclude this topic with a summary of my own thoughts.