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The Essential Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Translated by Peter Constantine
Edited and with a new introduction by Leo Damrosch
'Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains' is the dramatic opening line of The Social Contract, published in 1762. Quoted by politicians and philosophers alike, the power of this sentence continues to resonate. It laid the groundwork for both the American and French Revolutions, and is considered a foundational text in the development of the modern principles of human rights. Rousseau was an extraordinary visionary and a revolutionary thinker. The Essential Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau collects his best and most indispensable work.
The book includes: Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men and The Social Contract in full, plus selections from Émile, a treatise on education, the autobiographical Reveries of the Solitary Walker and Julie, or the New Héloïse,an epistolary novel.
Edited and with a new introduction by Leo Damrosch
'Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains' is the dramatic opening line of The Social Contract, published in 1762. Quoted by politicians and philosophers alike, the power of this sentence continues to resonate. It laid the groundwork for both the American and French Revolutions, and is considered a foundational text in the development of the modern principles of human rights. Rousseau was an extraordinary visionary and a revolutionary thinker. The Essential Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau collects his best and most indispensable work.
The book includes: Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men and The Social Contract in full, plus selections from Émile, a treatise on education, the autobiographical Reveries of the Solitary Walker and Julie, or the New Héloïse,an epistolary novel.
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
560 pages, Paperback
Published December 5, 2013
About the author
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
4,889 books3,086 followersGenevan philosopher and writer Jean Jacques Rousseau held that society usually corrupts the essentially good individual; his works include
The Social Contract
and
Émile
(both 1762).
This important figure in the history contributed to political and moral psychology and influenced later thinkers. Own firmly negative view saw the post-hoc rationalizers of self-interest, apologists for various forms of tyranny, as playing a role in the modern alienation from natural impulse of humanity to compassion. The concern to find a way of preserving human freedom in a world of increasingly dependence for the satisfaction of their needs dominates work. This concerns a material dimension and a more important psychological dimensions. Rousseau a fact that in the modern world, humans come to derive their very sense of self from the opinions as corrosive of freedom and destructive of authenticity. In maturity, he principally explores the first political route, aimed at constructing institutions that allow for the co-existence of equal sovereign citizens in a community; the second route to achieving and protecting freedom, a project for child development and education, fosters autonomy and avoids the development of the most destructive forms of self-interest. Rousseau thinks or the possible co-existence of humans in relations of equality and freedom despite his consistent and overwhelming pessimism that humanity will escape from a dystopia of alienation, oppression, and unfreedom. In addition to contributions, Rousseau acted as a composer, a music theorist, the pioneer of modern autobiography, a novelist, and a botanist. Appreciation of the wonders of nature and his stress on the importance of emotion made Rousseau an influence on and anticipator of the romantic movement. To a very large extent, the interests and concerns that mark his work also inform these other activities, and contributions of Rousseau in ostensibly other fields often serve to illuminate his commitments and arguments.
This important figure in the history contributed to political and moral psychology and influenced later thinkers. Own firmly negative view saw the post-hoc rationalizers of self-interest, apologists for various forms of tyranny, as playing a role in the modern alienation from natural impulse of humanity to compassion. The concern to find a way of preserving human freedom in a world of increasingly dependence for the satisfaction of their needs dominates work. This concerns a material dimension and a more important psychological dimensions. Rousseau a fact that in the modern world, humans come to derive their very sense of self from the opinions as corrosive of freedom and destructive of authenticity. In maturity, he principally explores the first political route, aimed at constructing institutions that allow for the co-existence of equal sovereign citizens in a community; the second route to achieving and protecting freedom, a project for child development and education, fosters autonomy and avoids the development of the most destructive forms of self-interest. Rousseau thinks or the possible co-existence of humans in relations of equality and freedom despite his consistent and overwhelming pessimism that humanity will escape from a dystopia of alienation, oppression, and unfreedom. In addition to contributions, Rousseau acted as a composer, a music theorist, the pioneer of modern autobiography, a novelist, and a botanist. Appreciation of the wonders of nature and his stress on the importance of emotion made Rousseau an influence on and anticipator of the romantic movement. To a very large extent, the interests and concerns that mark his work also inform these other activities, and contributions of Rousseau in ostensibly other fields often serve to illuminate his commitments and arguments.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 23, 2014
Biographical Note
Introduction
Further Reading
--Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men [complete]
--On the Social Contract, or, Principles of Political Right [complete]
--Émile, or, On Education [Excerpts]
--Julie, or, The New Héloïse [Excerpts]
--Confessions [Books I-III]
--Reveries of the Solitary Walker [Excerpts]
Acknowledgements
Timeline
Notes
Introduction
Further Reading
--Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men [complete]
--On the Social Contract, or, Principles of Political Right [complete]
--Émile, or, On Education [Excerpts]
--Julie, or, The New Héloïse [Excerpts]
--Confessions [Books I-III]
--Reveries of the Solitary Walker [Excerpts]
Acknowledgements
Timeline
Notes
November 16, 2021
The reason behind the three stars is not the content of the text, as the translation is quite beautiful, but more for the structure and chosen content of the book. It is an essential work, so not everything is included, but what frustrated me most was that the author did not justify or let the reader know anything about the process: why these parts instead of others, how come this structure. It felt too arbitrary to me at times and I got frustrated with the incompleteness of it. The read was good, but the translator should not forgot to include the reader into why he made the decisions as they are.
June 3, 2026
"I would rather be a paradoxical man than a man of prejudice"
This quote is from Emile, Rousseau's treatise on education that could certainly be called paradoxical. Consider: Rousseau writes an entire text on how best to educate a child, when he himself placed all of his own children in orphanages, as revealed by his arch enemy Voltaire. It's bizarrely paradoxical then to proceed with a scheme on how to best educate a child, but Rousseau, true to his word, lives within this paradox and proposes a montessori style education as if he were really raising children. His many cognitive dissonances are present throughout these selected writings, and his struggle to resolve all his opposing views is a worthwhile read.
The two texts that are presented here in full are "Discourse on the Origins of Inequality" and "The Social Contract", which present Rousseau's main philosophies, and the sequencing of Discourse before TSC is useful. Discourse outlines Rousseau's belief that humanity was far more equal when we were in a primitive state, before the establishment of a collective society began to dictate who would get more or less. Man roaming around in his loincloth, hunting and gathering, was a model of equality to Rousseau, and an image of a pastoral, individualist lifestyle that society has spoiled by introducing and slowly increasing hegemonic inequality.
The Social Contract, rather than harken back to these supposedly halcyon days, accepts that society has been created, and that reversion to primitivism is broadly off the table. TSC is cited as a key touchstone for luminaries of the two major 18th century revolutions, the French and the American. It espouses a subtle but insistent belief that a monarch can almost never be representative of the general will of the people, and if your government, in whatever form it comes, is not representing the general will, then the general public has a right to overthrow them. Who wouldn't want a revolution reading it? However, the broad consequences of his writing are interesting to consider in a modern context given the states of both French and US society in the meantime. Pondering!
The book then moves from some selected portions of 'Emile' onto 'Julie', his kind-of-a-love-story-not-really written in the form of epistolary. It too includes only selected letters from it, so like the presentation of 'Emile' we are left feeling a bit incomplete. I also do not agree with the central synthesis of the text, that love based on passion cannot last in an enduring relationship. I think that passion can change and alter over time, meaning different things at different points in life, and remain sustenance to a long-lasting relationship. The image Rousseau presents, of Julie's broadly passionless but supposedly fulfilling marriage to Wolmar, is a very sterile and joyless portrait in my view. But I understood more once I read the selected passages in this from the 'Confessions', and seeing Rousseau's own passions in clearer view.
"I could have lived a pleasant, peaceful life in the bosom of my religion, my country, and my family and friends, lived a calm and peaceful life suited to my nature in the routine of agreeable work, and in a society after my own heart. I would have been a good Christian, a good citizen, a good family man, friend, worker; a good man in every way. I would have loved my station in life, perhaps even honoured it. And after a life that was obscure and simple, but calm and serene, I should have died peacefully in the bosom of my family. Though no doubt soon forgotten, I would at least have been mourned for as long as I was remembered.
Instead of which... what a picture I shall paint!"
The picture he paints, in the small portion of the Confessions that is included here, is quite something. From accidental gay experiences to theft to abandoning careers in favour of just walking, he describes his life as a libertine and dilletante young man. It is bizarre to read and know his place in history as one of the foremost philosophers, because it comes across that for a long time, he was just bullshitting!! Absolutely fascinated as well by the relationship between himself and Mdm de Warens, deeply deeply Freudian curse him.
Definitely a worthwhile read for anyone wanting a sort of "Rousseau Starter Pack".
This quote is from Emile, Rousseau's treatise on education that could certainly be called paradoxical. Consider: Rousseau writes an entire text on how best to educate a child, when he himself placed all of his own children in orphanages, as revealed by his arch enemy Voltaire. It's bizarrely paradoxical then to proceed with a scheme on how to best educate a child, but Rousseau, true to his word, lives within this paradox and proposes a montessori style education as if he were really raising children. His many cognitive dissonances are present throughout these selected writings, and his struggle to resolve all his opposing views is a worthwhile read.
The two texts that are presented here in full are "Discourse on the Origins of Inequality" and "The Social Contract", which present Rousseau's main philosophies, and the sequencing of Discourse before TSC is useful. Discourse outlines Rousseau's belief that humanity was far more equal when we were in a primitive state, before the establishment of a collective society began to dictate who would get more or less. Man roaming around in his loincloth, hunting and gathering, was a model of equality to Rousseau, and an image of a pastoral, individualist lifestyle that society has spoiled by introducing and slowly increasing hegemonic inequality.
The Social Contract, rather than harken back to these supposedly halcyon days, accepts that society has been created, and that reversion to primitivism is broadly off the table. TSC is cited as a key touchstone for luminaries of the two major 18th century revolutions, the French and the American. It espouses a subtle but insistent belief that a monarch can almost never be representative of the general will of the people, and if your government, in whatever form it comes, is not representing the general will, then the general public has a right to overthrow them. Who wouldn't want a revolution reading it? However, the broad consequences of his writing are interesting to consider in a modern context given the states of both French and US society in the meantime. Pondering!
The book then moves from some selected portions of 'Emile' onto 'Julie', his kind-of-a-love-story-not-really written in the form of epistolary. It too includes only selected letters from it, so like the presentation of 'Emile' we are left feeling a bit incomplete. I also do not agree with the central synthesis of the text, that love based on passion cannot last in an enduring relationship. I think that passion can change and alter over time, meaning different things at different points in life, and remain sustenance to a long-lasting relationship. The image Rousseau presents, of Julie's broadly passionless but supposedly fulfilling marriage to Wolmar, is a very sterile and joyless portrait in my view. But I understood more once I read the selected passages in this from the 'Confessions', and seeing Rousseau's own passions in clearer view.
"I could have lived a pleasant, peaceful life in the bosom of my religion, my country, and my family and friends, lived a calm and peaceful life suited to my nature in the routine of agreeable work, and in a society after my own heart. I would have been a good Christian, a good citizen, a good family man, friend, worker; a good man in every way. I would have loved my station in life, perhaps even honoured it. And after a life that was obscure and simple, but calm and serene, I should have died peacefully in the bosom of my family. Though no doubt soon forgotten, I would at least have been mourned for as long as I was remembered.
Instead of which... what a picture I shall paint!"
The picture he paints, in the small portion of the Confessions that is included here, is quite something. From accidental gay experiences to theft to abandoning careers in favour of just walking, he describes his life as a libertine and dilletante young man. It is bizarre to read and know his place in history as one of the foremost philosophers, because it comes across that for a long time, he was just bullshitting!! Absolutely fascinated as well by the relationship between himself and Mdm de Warens, deeply deeply Freudian curse him.
Definitely a worthwhile read for anyone wanting a sort of "Rousseau Starter Pack".
January 26, 2025
I can’t write a review for Rousseau. Please just refer to the rating given..
February 3, 2023
He says anticapitalist stuff with respect to pre-society civilization and amour propre, but also contradicts himself when you consider his personal life. I enjoyed reading this, but also simultaneously have got to say that French philosophers give me a headache, lmaooo. Rousseau basically argues that the state of nature is better than civil society because reason was not developed. Pity in the state of nature, according to Rousseau, prevented people from hurting one another out of a desire to not experience that same suffering themselves. Therefore, people in the state of nature would also be focusing on themselves, rather than developing their reasoning and forming civilizations that would come to inflict suffering on people because of amour propre. Furthermore, Rousseau mentions that civil society is exacerbated by people attempting to adhere to society’s constraints, versus working together to dismantle these systems. Instead, law develops and then tyranny follows suit. Cultivating one’s garden can refer to making yourself and society better, and so this would fall in line with Rousseau’s beliefs that humanity must work together to lessen the issues that have come with civil society. In particular, this is done by forming a government at a time in which the sociopolitical atmosphere is relatively democratic, because now that civilization has developed, we can no longer go back to a state in which reason is undeveloped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2014
A great overview containing Rousseau's major contributions to politics and philosophy as well as excerpts from his memoirs.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews