Ideas of Rousseau

KEY IDEAS

KEY IDEAS

1. challenged the key assumption of modern philosophers that we have improved our condition by escaping the state of nature

2. reasoned that the political communities we developed had enslaved us

3. saw human nature itself as a work in progress

4. believed the foundations of hobbes’ and locke’s political theories to be false

5. placed our emotional capacities above our intellectual capacities

   1. what makes us truly human is our ability to feel and be passionately committed. for rousseau, we were not merely computing and reasoning machines

6. we were not naturally social, political, or rational

7. envisioned societies as developing along unique lines in ways that were consistent with the general will if those within each society.

   1. only by participating in the general will would we be truly free since then we would be ruling ourselves

8. supported direct democracy over representative democracy

   1. participation in politics is the highest aim, wanted to see the barrier between government and citizens removed

9. to achieve the kind of participation he desired, rousseau envisioned an inspirational legislator whom all would wish to emulate

   1. also suggested the primary task of society was to create public spiritedness

   2. symbols to unite the community

10. believed that in order to achieve the kind of society he wanted, humans would need to become virtuous

    1. did not think this was likely to happen anytime soon

what did rousseau object to about the ideas of hobbes and locke?

• the modern regimes of hobbes and locke create economic and political inequality, resulting in rich dominating the poor and depriving them of their freedom

• disagrees that the government represents the people to allow people to pursue economic activities - people are only free when directly participating in law making

• governments of hobbes and locke serve a ruling class which benefit at the expense of everyone else (classic oppression)

  • both are unequal, cannot achieve true liberty and autonomy

  • there will always be people to oppress you

    • the ruling class doesn’t have others’ interests in mind, only their own

rousseau’s ideal for a truly free city

one that depends on the patriotism of its citizens who devote themselves completely to the community

• sparta = ruled by warrior-citizens who do not like philosophy

nationalism - doing what’s best for the community, not the individual

spartan attitude towards philosophy

philosophy weakened patriotism

• lures people away from public activity to pursue intellectual life

• philosophy and science only flourish in societies that promote luxury - this decreases war spirit and weakens national defense

• the meaning of life is derived from dying. philosophy questions loyalty and undermines the unity of the state

rousseau thought his society was weak because it accepted philosophy.

how was rousseau more radical than hobbes?

rousseau believed humans are naturally good, asocial, and arational

• humans degenerated from the state of nature as they gained society and reason

• idea that humans evolved

hobbes believed that humans lived in a state of war - man is only moved by self-preservation.

• hobbes’ reasoning was flawed to rousseau; by his own logic the state of nature would be the most appropriate

rousseau’s vision of the primitive man in the state of nature

nascent: without industry, without speech, without domicile, without war, without liaisons

no desire to harm others or follow them, may not even recognize them individually

• naturally good

only concerned with basic needs; little communication

• people are almost entirely independent and any sexual desire is purely physical, no emotions attached

• all associations are temporary - no ability to form lasting relationships or memories

the state of nature is inherently good because it should be consistent with the point of living.

l’amour de soi-meme vs l’amour propre

l’amour de soi-meme

• the love of oneself, found among natural men

• no need to compare oneself to others

• feeling the sentiment of the moment, love of life

l’amour propre

• vanity found among civilized men

• pride of the socialized man who derives his self esteem from thinking himself superior to others

• product of failing, excessive devotion to oneself

does rousseau see human nature as evolutionary?

yes

• suggested man evolved from apes

• proposed to test this by attempting to breed orangutans with humans

1. nascent man

2. nascent society (ideal)

3. nascent inequality (present)

4. nascent government

does the work of sahlins support or refute rousseau’s view? - nascent society is superior to present civilization

generally supports

• in a more primitive society, peoples’ means for getting their wants are limited but peoples’ wants are also limited in nature

  • because people want less, they can fulfill their needs more quickly and have more time for leisure

  • they are more free than modern people who have wants that are always greater than what they can have

  • in a primitive society, men are free from domination because they are roughly equal in wealth and there isn’t a significant wealth disparity

at what stage in their evolution did people lose most of their freedom according to rousseau?

once society became agricultural (when people stopped hunting/gathering and started farming)

• agricultural way of life created inequality of property and a distinction between rich and poor

• wealth inequality created a state of war between rich and poor

• the rich convinced the poor to create a society with an equal rule of law that would protect the rich, which destroyed natural freedom for all

the government is always going to oppress

corresponds with nascent inequality in rousseau’s evolution

• when people have unequal distribution of wealth and resources

what is the way to ensure men would no longer be dominated by others in our modern world according to rousseau?

create a society where the people themselves are the only sovereign authority

• everyone is equally subject to the rule of law and society is small enough that everyone’s wills can be united into a single general will

• substitute law for man and have a general will rather than a number of individual specific wills

• group together into communities that share the same values

• citizens become the government, one body

• different people have different values so they will come together to form like-minded communities - precursor to nationalism

  • governed in a way that is consistent with their nature

• believed in consensus - the community has an obligation to force people to do what they believe is best

what is required in order to achieve participatory democracy according to rousseau?

1. the individuals share in the social decisions determining the quality and direction of their life

2. society should be organized to encourage independence in men and provide the media for their participation

• public spirited citizens - people who are actually interested in building community

HR: how did they define freedom?

Hobbes:

• freedom is giving individual rights to an absolute dictator so everyone’s rights are protected

• people are innately greedy and power-seeking

• negative freedom: make the best choices for yourselves to make the best choices for the community

Rousseau:

• everyone should have rights protected by the state

• humans are innately good but not protected from selfish people

• positive freedom: you are only free if you can make the right choices

• community makes choices to allow people to make the best choices for themselves

how does the prisoner dilemma relate to roussesau’s ideas?

• people are better off if they can cooperate in seeking their collective interest and trust that one will not out the other. when each seeks his individual interest, both suffer

• coming together to make decisions can be in our collective interest

rousseau and patriotism

supportive of developing patriotism and emotional commitment in society

• everyone should do their duties and love each other, the community, fellow citizens

• wouldn’t be supportive of citizens who wanted to run away from fighting for their country (unlike hobbes)

could napoleon be of potential use in realizing rousseau’s ideal society?

yes, rousseau would see napoleon as a potential god-like figure who serves as the exemplary figure for society to strive to be

• embody the values of that particular society

• patriotism - be like the figure for the betterment of the community

• inspires people to build the community that they are working for

why is rousseau critical of indirect democracy?

• if the people are the sovereign authority, they must make the fundamental laws

• they cannot delegate their lawmaking authority

• how to reconcile individual freedom and political authority?

• only a participatory society can be legitimate if the only legitimate social order is a voluntary association

people are only free when electing their government.

why are true democracies constrained by size according to rousseau?

the principle of direct participation by all citizens becomes increasingly unachievable as the size of the state grows

people should be easily able to assemble which they cannot do in a large community

what is rousseau’s civil religion?

• form of public faith established by the sovereign, promoting dogmas essential to social duties

• purpose is to maintain social unity and minimize internal divisions by aligning religious and political duties

• the religion has to be whatever the community values

in what ways does the US fall short of rousseau’s true democracy?

• US values separation of church and state, potentially allowing for religious values that may contradict civil religion dogmas

• shows elements of civil religion in politcal rhetoric and documents, yet still maintains a separation of church and state

• preference and bias toward specific religions

• size - too large

• divides power

• attached to individual rights over responsibility to the community

why didn’t rousseau believe that his true democracy was achievable?

it was impractical

• some people are apolitical, people aren’t public spirited enough

• opens the door for social engineering

requires unattainable levels of civic virtue

people are selfish and everyone has different needs, so in the end it’s hard to agree on everything

those in power distort laws for personal gain - there will always be corruption

negative freedom

getting rid of external obstacles to make the best decisions for yourself

• assumes you know where you want to go and you can make appropriate decisions

• focus on the individual

• what do we do about those who need help?

positive freedom

providing something to ensure the best decisions can be made

• assumes guidance or self-control is required for you to make the best choices

• focus more so on the helper (could be self)

• what do we do with those who do not want to support?

rousseau’s evolution

1. nascent man

2. nascent society

3. nascent inequality

4. nascent government

nascent man

• we all live independently

• no one dominates anyone else

• blissfully ignorant (stupid)

• asocial and arational

nascent society

society at its happiest - rousseau’s ideal

• experience the joys of family, eventually become too attached and can’t give it up

• outward love turns into a need to be celebrated and validated

• we eventually become vain and need the affections of others

• we desire recognition

nascent inequality

• clear distinctions between rich and poor arise

• we come into increasing conflict

• thought this was hobbes’ state of nature (wrong)

• current society

nascent government

• origins of feudal society

• government serves its own interests at the costs of others

• future society