Transcript Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau,
1712-1778
Born in Geneva, mother dies while he
is infant
Father is tyrannical; sends JJ to be
an apprentice; JJ hates it and runs
away
Priests help him and send him
to home of Mme. De Warens,
who supports him,
sends him to school. Later
becomes his mistress.
After moving on and becoming famous, JJ
selects a poor, illiterate serving girl, Therese
Levasseur, as his mate. Together they have 5
children, each one of whom JJ immediately
places in an orphanage
MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts,
1750
Emile, or On Education, 1762
On the Social Contract, 1762
Discourse on the Origin and Foundation
of Inequality Among Men, 1773
MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN
•HOW BEST TO MAKE IDEALS OF
FREEDOM AND EQUALITY A
REAL PRESENCE IN PUBLIC LIFE
•WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL WAY OF
ORGANIZING OURSELVES IN
SOCIETIES (monarchy, laissez faire,
majority rule, communes, aristocratic
rule?)
•WHAT ARE THE FACTORS
WHICH EXPLAIN WHY WE FALL
SHORT OF OUR IDEALS?
BACKGROUND FOR UNDERSTANDING
ROUSSEAU
•MAKES SHARP DISTINCTION BETWEEN
“NATURAL” AND “ARTIFICIAL”
•STATE OF NATURE = NATURAL
CONDITION OF HUMANS PRIOR TO
ORGANIZED SOCIETIES
•“GOLDEN AGE VIEW” OF THINGS (NO
PROGRESS)
•HUMANS MOTIVATED BY NATURAL
COMPASSION AND SELF-PRESERVATION
•EVOLUTIONARY ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL
DISTINCTIONS
In Part One: Rousseau speaks of two
kinds of inequality among human beings:
 Natural inequality

established by nature: e.g., differences in age, health,
bodily strength, qualities of mind
 Moral or political inequality

depends on convention; established or authorized by
human consent: e.g., some are richer, more honored,
more powerful
 Rousseau wants to consider humans in their
“natural state,” before moral/political inequality
Rousseau considers “natural man”
from two perspectives:
 Physical



humans have “robust”
constitutions
they do not “need”
homes, clothing, etc.
their main concern is
self-preservation
 Metaphysical (moral)

humans distinguished
from animals by
• freedom
• self-perfection




autonomous (loners)
innate sense of pity
little conflict
love as physical
What are Rousseau’s assumptions?
 Any significant inequalities among human
beings are the result of “civilization”

In our “natural” state there was no inequality to
speak of
 Thus, for Rousseau, civilization implies
degeneration

“The man who meditates is a depraved animal.”
What are Rousseau’s assumptions?
 Also: in their natural state, humans did
not “need” one another


Sexual relations were not based on a
“moral” notion of love
Mothers and children only stayed
together for as long as utility demanded
Why are these assumptions?
 Because Rousseau does not and cannot have
access to this “original,” “natural”
experience.
 There is much conjecture in his arguments.
 Yet he thinks his conclusions are
inescapable.
 How would you critique his argument?