JeanJacques Rousseau

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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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
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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
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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, 1753
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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?

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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

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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

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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

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What are Rousseaus 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 (p. 43)
• The man who meditates is a depraved animal. (p.
  42)

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What are Rousseaus assumptions?

• Also in their natural state, humans did not
  need one another (e.g., p. 48)
• Sexual relations were not based on a moral
  notion of love
• Mothers and children only stayed together for as
  long as utility demanded (p. 48)

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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?