ROUSSEAUOVA SKRIVENA TEORIJA SUKOBA
ROUSSEAU’S HIDDEN THEORY OF CONFLICT

Summary/Abstract: The article thematizes the notion of conflict in the political theory of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Even though conflict is not central for Rousseau's work, the thesis is defended that Rousseau, although never explicitly, develops a theory of conflict which remains hidden behind various rhetorical manoeuvres and other parts of his political thought to which Rousseau’s interpreters through history have given far greater significance. While the usual interpretations classify Rousseau as a strong opponent of conflict, the article tries to prove that there is a place for conflict inside Rousseau’s political theory and that conflict is often positively valued. Moreover, the article seeks to differentiate the manifestations of conflict depending on the virtue of the political order, questioning the conflicts within modern commercial societies. Modern commercial societies are condemned to conflicts that do not generate freedom, nor are they directed towards the common good but exclusively towards obtaining the material wealth which leads to strong economic inequality, thus greatly affecting Rousseau's assessment of conflict. Th article tries to interpret Rousseau’s view on modern commercial societies and the role of conflict in them, connecting Rousseau’s personal escapism with his theoretical framework and ideological positions.

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