PHIL102 week 8 lecture - Rousseau

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from Rousseau's political philosophy, including his biography, major works, the State of Nature, amour propre, the Social Contract, and the General Will.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Swiss philosopher and literary writer (1712-1778)

Discourse on the Origins of Inequality ('Second Discourse') (1755)

A key work by Rousseau exploring the origins of inequality

Emile, or on Education (1762)

A work by Rousseau that discusses education

The Social Contract

Rousseau's famous concept exploring the relationship between the individual and society

State of Nature

The state of existence before civil society

Origin of Inequality

Private property

Natural Man

A solitary hunter-gatherer, strong, agile, and selfish

Amour propre

Self-regard - the need to distinguish oneself in relation to others

Love of Self

Natural repugnance towards suffering, and natural compassion

Social Contract Outcomes

Civil liberty and property are gained, natural liberty is lost

Rousseau’s interpretation of freedom

Freedom to do what a rational person would choose

General Will

Laws made in accordance with this will give a ‘higher’ sort of freedom and solves the problem of political authority

Will of All

The aggregate of the particular wills of a political group’s members