Jean Jacques Rousseau

1
Jean Jacques Rousseau

• Some Major Works
• Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
• Discourse on the Origin of Inequality Among Man
• Emile, or On Education
• The Social Contract

2
Discourse on the Arts and Sciences

• Criticizes education not progressing us to
  anything good
• Education just makes us deceive ourselves and
  others we try to fit in
• Leads to individuality, makes us self interested
  consumers
• Teaches us reason
• Puts flowers on our chains just hiding
  inequality

3

• Where ever science and math flourished, luxury
  and leisure flourish
• They are born from our vices, and do nothing to
  improve the moral well being of society
• Dont contribute anything to love of country,
  friends, or the unfortunate
• Science does not give any guidance for making
  people more virtuous citizens
• We learn to hate ourselves because the masks we
  have to wear
• To cope, we hate the people below us

4

• Science is based on a sense of a need for luxury
• Science becomes a means for making our lives
  easier and more pleasurable, not morally better
• Bacon and Descartes avoided this corruption

5
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality Among Man

• He creates his own state of nature
• Humans physically strong, but simple, very
  independent
• Hobbes had it wrong, he tried to create the state
  of nature without stripping what humans have
  learned
• All he did was strip laws
• For us to understand the state of nature, there
  can be no laws, property, understanding of
  threat, minimal language skills

6

• Natural man is isolated, timid, peaceful, mute
  and without the foresight to worry
• Humans have two principles self interest, and
  empathy...But we have reason
• We have adaptability leads to progress i.e.
  fire
• Humans forced to settle down, but roughly equal
• Series of events move us from the noble savage
• Organize into temporary groups hunting
• Very basic language
• Next is small families based on love
• If we stayed here, there would be no inequality

7

• But, agriculture and metallurgy change this
• Crucial point develops we start to make
  comparisons to others develop self image and
  things become valuable
• Division of labour, distinct social classes,
  workers, rulers leads to invention of private
  property
• Unnatural, but education teaches us its legit
• Some people left out of property grab see it as
  illegitimate
• Great Deception rich convince the poor private
  property needs to be protected
• All accepted their chains

8
The Social Contract

• Discussion on Government and Rights of the People
• 1st step make us all equal give up the
  natural right to property
• Help us to distinguish between needs and wants,
  help us to resurrect empathy
• Everyone has enough so they dont have to sell
  ourselves
• When we see each other as equals, we are able to
  see one another as citizens
• Well look forward to what people say

9

• Outlines how governments could exist to protect
  equality of citizens
• Concept of general will difficult to interpret
  based on the well being of the whole, protects
  the rights of all individuals
• Protected by a sovereign, protects the public
  good
• Not the collection of individual wills
• Ultimately my will, and general will merges
• Example majority- collection of individual
  wills
• If you have lack of prosperity, no population
  growth, legislative body silent, disparity,
  religious faction no social contract
• If the one is being sacrificed by the many no
  social contract