Why was Rousseau an anti-communist?

Answer 1

Jean-Jacques Rousseau is often considered anti-communist because he emphasized the importance of private property and individual rights, which he believed were essential for personal freedom and social order. While Rousseau critiqued inequality and the corrupting influence of wealth, he argued that property ownership was a natural extension of individual liberty, which contrasts with communist ideals that seek to abolish private property. His vision of the social contract focused on a collective will that respects individual autonomy, rather than a communal ownership model. Thus, his ideas laid a foundation for individualism that runs counter to the principles of communism.