Rousseau and the problem of war

Carter's study is a systematic interpretation of Rousseau's ideas on war and peace. Its originality lies in the broad scope of its analysis, setting Rousseau's fragmentary writings on international politics within the context of his major works of political and moral theory, and against the background of of those writers on whose ideas he drew most heavily. The study demonstrates that Rousseau made a profound analysis of the causes of war, which he saw as rooted in the inequality and competition attendant upon the development of social relations. Carter examines Rousseau's critique of Saint-Pierre's 'Projet de paix perpetuelle', showing the extent to which Rousseau rejects Enlightenment optimism, and concludes that despite the moralism of Rousseau's thinking, a sober realism informs his approach to international politics, so that he can perceive no easy solution to the problem of war.