The present invention relates to: a polycarbonate having high transparency, a high refractive index, low birefringence, moldability, and moist-heat resistance; and an optical member including the polycarbonate. Disclosed is a polycarbonate comprising 98 to 2 mol% of a unit represented by formula (I) and 2 to 98 mol% of a unit represented by formula (II), wherein, when 0.7 g of the polycarbonate is dissolved in 100 ml of methylene chloride, the specific viscosity is from 0.12 to 0.40 when measured at 20 DEG C. In the formula, R1 to R8 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, a bromine atom, an iodine atom, a C1-6 alkyl group, a C6-12 aryl group, a C2-6 alkenyl group, a C1-6 alkoxy group, or a C7-17 aralkyl group. In the formula, R9 to R12 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a C1-9 hydrocarbon group that may include an aromatic group, or a halogen atom. X is an alkylene group, and n is an integer of 0 to 3.