Jean Jacques Rousseau Quize

Who was Jean Jacques Rousseau?

• Swiss political theorist, born in Geneva → adopted being the loyal son and citizen of Geneva against the sophisticated Parisian intellectuals

• Received little formal education

• Ran away and settled in Paris at 16

• A diverse writer

What was the topic that he won an essay contest about in 1749?

• If the arts & sciences have corrupted or improved society

What ideas/who did he defend?

• Defended the idea of the noble savage → the savage against the civilized

• Took the side of the poor and dispossessed against the elites

Contributions in other fields

• Diderot’s encyclopaedia → aquatinted with philosophers & intellecturals across UK and Europe

• Emphasis on community and general will modified the strongly individualistic strain of British Liberalism

His works

• The Second Discourse → is labeled his greatest work, wrote on the origins on inequality

• The Social Contract → most famous work

View on Human Nature

• Man by nature is good, but corrupted by society

The qualities in Rousseau’s human nature

• Self interest → desire for self preservation

• Others interest → capacity for sympathy

Man’s distinctive nature

• Is placed in his feelings or passions

• Affects the rest of his development in political society

How are the qualities corrupted?

• Corrupted by the vanity of civil society → puts a person’s self interest at the expense of his natural sympathy

• Man’s compassion is easily overpowered by more powerful passions once we enter society (become socialized)

Development of reason

• Reinforces selfishness and egoism

• Hastens corruption by assisting in the development of different vices

The Noble Savage

• People in a state of nature are happier and more virtuous

• Describes the natural man as being in a state of innocence, not exposed to the corrupt nature of modern Europe

• Society corrupts man natural goodness leading

• He elevates the noble savage over the civilized man → Holds a sense of virtue

How did he come up with the idea of the noble savage?

• Impressed with the character of native people (Icelanders, Greenlanders, Hottentots) & their refusal to assimilate to European religion and custom

• Their preference to their “personal independence to the comforts and luxuries of modern civilization”

Perspective on virtue → Material goods

• Criticized European societies and their material excess and artificial desires → Believed that it led to moral corruption and inequality

  • European civilization as oppressive rather than liberating

• Material goods do not provide genuine fulfilment or happiness → those in the state of nature are more happy and virtuous

What is the state of nature? (General)

• Free from the corrupting influences of property, social hierarchy, and artificial needs

How does man transition from nature into society?

• Property

Private property

• The concept of private property is the turning point that led to corruption, inequality and suffering that define modern civilization

• Believed to be an artificial and unjust social invention → led to violence, suffering and oppression

• Vision of a world where land is shared rather than owned

Rousseau compared to other philosophers in matters of property

• NOT a communist

• Did not believe it was possible to collectivize property in the manner of Plato or Marx

• Was an acute observer of the ills of the class and the effects of private property

• '“The ancient politicians spoke only about morals and virtues. Ours only speak only of commerce and money”

Civilization and property → role of government

• Believed there was something deeply wrong with the conception of government as the protector of private property that barely intervenes with the affairs of individuals

  • Govs. who gives individuals freedom to pursue life, liberty and estate

• Example; ancient polis, politics had the task of mitigating the harshest effects of economic inequalities

• There is a lack of civic virtue and citizenship

Man has _____

• All he required for living in the state of nature

• With reason/a developed understanding he has only just enough to support life in society

The ____ corrupted man’s innocent virtue, why?

• Emergence of society

• Individuals began comparing themselves with others and began to judge others

Social life as a theater

• Individuals are on stage and judged by critics

• Conforms to his writing on drama and the corrupting effect of theatre on actors and actresses

• Both subject the individual to an ‘audience’ and compares his appearance to that of others

• Causes everyone to become vain and more concerned with appearance than substance

• Places the civilized life of Paris as an example

What did he believe the source of human evil is? What is the remedy

• Not man’s nature, but society

• Remedy is not a return to savage simplicity but to move forward to political society → Innocent virtue lost in civilized society is regained in a certain kind of political society

What kind of political society does Rousseau believe is best to regain innocent virtue?

• One that is built on participatory democratic communities

How should individuals retain freedom while society gain order and justice?

• Citizens directly participate in the lawmaking of the community, each person then lives under the rule they have made

• Participatory citizen citizen gives up his individual rights to the whole community of which he is a part of and therefore retains them