BALKAN JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY. Vol. 15, Issue 2, 2023 101 BENJAMIN CONSTANT’S LIBERAL OBJECTIONS TO ROUSSEAU IN THE NAME OF MODERN LIBERTY Bainur Yelubayev*, Csaba Olay** Institute of Philosophy, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary *email: bainur.yelubayev@gmail.com **email: olay.csaba@btk.elte.hu Abstract: Benjamin Constant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were both Swiss-French political thinkers who had a significant influence on the subsequent development of political thought. Constant is known not only as a political philosopher but also as an active politician, who today is considered one of the founding fathers of liberalism. Rousseau, in turn, is considered one of the most controversial thinkers of the Enlightenment, who has been accused of laying the foundation for many revolutionary political movements and repressive regimes. The main objective of this work is to illustrate Benjamin Constant’s liberal objections to the political philosophy of Jean- Jacques Rousseau. First, it is important to focus on Rousseau’s main ideas for the full disclosure of the topic. Likewise, it is also crucial to take into account the historical context, which will be useful for understanding the motives for the formation of Constant’s liberal views. Thus, in the first part of the work, we will briefly consider the main concepts developed by Rousseau in his book, The Social Contract, such as popular sovereignty, the state of nature, and direct democracy. In the second part, we will analyze the main political concepts of Constant and his critique of Rousseau, based on his books The Liberty of the Ancients Compared with that of the Moderns and Principles of Politics Applicable to All Governments. Key words: Constant, Rousseau, ancient liberty, modern liberty, popular sovereignty, individual rights. 1. Introduction Benjamin Constant was one of the prominent Swiss-French political thinkers and an active politi- cian in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth cen- turies. He is considered the founding father of mod- ern liberalism, as he advocated civil liberties, separa- tion of powers, religious tolerance, as well as repre- sentative democracy. It is safe to say that Constant’s main political ideas stemmed from his own observa- tions and experience, as he witnessed decisive mo- ments in French history, such as the French Revolu- tion, whose leaders are believed to have been in- spired by Rousseau’s idea of popular sovereignty, which consequently led to the terror and dictatorship of the Jacobins, as well as the despotism of Napole- on, who eventually concentrated all power in his hands after many years of political and social up- heaval. Thus, Constant, as a person who observed and witnessed the abuse of political power and repres- sion of individuals by the state, began to become a zealous supporter of liberal changes in France and promoted the independence of private life from arbi- trary state interference. Hence, he advocated a con- stitutional regime in France with separation of pow- ers and individual freedom, which he regarded as a manifestation of modern liberty. In this regard, Con- stant criticizes Rousseau’s political teaching, espe- cially his idea of popular sovereignty, which implies