Basic Political Writings

by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Donald A. Cress (Translator)

s/t: Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, Discourse on Political Economy on the Socia

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction, Classics, Political Science, History, School

249 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1755

About the author

Genevan 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.

Reviews

[عهود المخيني · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just brilliant. I cannot help not admiring Rousseau style each time I read for him.

[Sarah Furger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rousseau is a genius, and key to understanding the French Revolution, the 18th century intellectual movement, and Enlightenment thought. He also provides the basis for several other political systems, including the American 'democracy'.

I believe one of the most significant quotes is as follows: "...for it is obviously contrary to the law of nature, however it may be defined, for a child to command an old man, for an imbecile to lead a wise man, and for a handful of people to gorge themselves on superfluities while the starving multitude lacks necessities" (81).

[Jose Angelo]

I know Rousseau is always critized and disliked by many authors/philosophers, and even contemporary idiots... but I still and always will love him. He's more influential in our intellectual history and world than most others think. After all, he did coin the infamous quote: "When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich."

Yay! :) The most hopeful thought anyone could ever imagine!!

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Discourse on the Origin of Inequality and On the Social Contract

I dig Rousseau for sure. Interested in reading more.

[Patricia Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looooove Rousseau. So many criticisms but truly revolutionary ideas for his time

[Malia Losa · Rating 3 out of 5]

if we ignore how terribly he talks about women (big ask i️ know) he might just be Okay …..

[hal]

x

[Hobart Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

BANG BANG BANGGGGGG, now this is a real philosopher. Rousseau clears both of those English frauds. Locke and hobbes can't touch this!!!! For starters he's just a more entertaining writer. He spits out bangers after bangers. "Man is born free and everywhere he is im chains" BANGGGG " a tranquil life is also to be had in the dungeon" BANGGGG " to be driven by appetite alone is slavery" BANGGGGGG. His actual philosophy is also just more interesting then hobbes all powerful sovigrn and lockes love of private poverty. Now rousseau is without a bad person and had terrible views on women. But he was able to see something behind private property and really tried to find that balance of liberty and equality. His actual plans for society gulp but i think he deconstruction of lockes state of nature is some of the best bag work yet. Using proto darwinian science and the evolution of langue to combat lockes sort of garden of eden starting point. Mwah. rousseau gets blamed much like Marx for revolutions he inspired. Nonsense 1.( French revolution was good. And 2. Rousseaus ideas and thoughts pretty cleary helped move western philosophy forward. Being one of the first guys to be a blanket wide anti slavery while Mr liberty Locke was profiting off slaves you can't get me to hate this guy!!!!. Jean rousseau clears your favorite enlightment bro with ease!!!!!!!!

[Ibn Cereno]

Torn on this one. Rousseau has some good bits, but I feel like most of them were already in Zhuangzi. While someone had to call out Hobbes and Locke on their bullshit, Rousseau merely put a smiley face where Hobbes put a frowny face. It's a shame that the "state of nature" notion is so baked into Western political philosophy when the findings of anthropology, evolutionary biology, and every other *legitimate* field of study with something to say on the matter cry out against its absurdity.

[Joshua Glucksman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read 2 discourses and social contract. Guy is crazy. Need to read it again. And his other stuff that isnt philosophy. Hes on to something with this inequality business.

[Madeleine]

- Crucial passages: 87 (rich and poor, strong and weak, master and slave) 90 (when self love becomes toxic and turns to egocentrism) 104-105 (?)
- 65 (love - moral and physical aspects) 77
- 52 “...The former [animals] chooses or rejects by INSTINCT and the later [man] by an act of FREEDOM”
- On the Social Contract is Principle if Political Right: 155-183, 188-197, 210-230, 241-252. Human nature and social arrangement possibilities. Philosopher king idea, except useful? Fair and just. “Natural liberty (which is limited solely by the force of the individual involved) and civil liberty (which is limited by the general will), and possession (which is merely the effect of force or the right of the first occupant) and proprietary ownership (which can only be based on a positive title)”. “For by its nature the private will tends toward giving advantages to some and not to others, and the general will tends toward equality”. “There is often a great deal of difference between the will of all and the general will. The latter consists only the general interest, whereas the former considers private interest and is merely the sum of private wills. But remove from these same wills the pluses and minuses that cancel each other out, and what remains as the sum of the differences is the general will”. “..what makes the will general is not so much the number of votes as the common interest that unites them”. 180 “By itself the populace always wants the good, but by itself it does not always see it. The general Will is always right, but the judgement that guides jt is not always enlightened. It must be made to see objects as they are, and sometimes as they ought to appear to it. The good path it seeks must be pointed out to it”. Emerging people and civil religion 182-83 sounds like Machiavelli. “..each citizen would be perfectly independent of all others and excessively dependent upon the city..for only the force of the state brings about the liberty of its members. .. whence it follows that the larger the state becomes, the less liberty there is.” “Since every man is born free and master of himself, no one can, under any pretext whatsoever, place another under subjection without his consent. To decide that the son of a slave is born a slave is born a slave is to decide that he is not born a man”. “*When, therefore, the opinion contrary to mine prevails, this proves merely that I was in error, and that what I took to be the general will was not so”. Considers clergy a corporate body that should have no role. “It can banish him not for being impious but for being unsociable, for being incapable of sincerely loving the laws and justice, and of sacrificing his life, if necessary, for his duty. ... The dog as if civil religion ought to be simple, few in number, precisely worded, without explanations or commentaries”.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

although i fundamentally disagree with some of his arguments, he writes very well. his logic is sound as well, i just disagree with some of his premises. very well translated and notated. the introduction is excellent as well.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a dorck and I liked it. What can I say? I like HObbes even more.

[Shad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not impressed with Rousseau's theories on politics, natural man or progress. Based on the influence his works have had, I expected much more. Both his knowledge and intellect appear lacking.

[Scott Blade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everywhere he looks, man is in chains.

[Emma Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an “endorsement” of Rousseau’s ideas since he seems to only intend for his ideas to apply to white men, but it’s pretty fascinating to read his works written at different points in his life.
-Had some bold ideas about evolution, and in one note to the Discourse on Inequality he criticizes the prejudices of other European writers and travelers and how they always apply their “European standards” to others.
-Frequently notes his admiration about indigenous communities, unlike most other writers, but it feels like more of a fetish because his ideas about indigenous peoples still exist with the “European imaginary” and he’s still “othering” and separating them, that they’re at an earlier/primitive stage in development, which is problematic -For all he does to trace inequality and the decay of European societies, he only cares about inequality of wealth and status for white men, so his Social Contract theory, which seeks to remedy all the issues he lays out in the Discourses, is about white men.
-Reveries of a Solitary Walker have a transcendentalist vibe, which is interesting, and give more insight as to where Rousseau was at later in life.
-Definitely someone who has to be read several times because he is a man and writer of many contradictions.

[John Berner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did not expect to find JJR as compelling as I did. Up to this point, I only really understood him as "noble savage" guy, which is an immense disservice to the insight and integrity displayed in these writings. As an outsider to all nations who refused all political patronage, Rousseau is not interested (as IMO Locke and Hobbes are) in finding a theory of the social contract that authorizes the established order. Instead, he seeks out a version of political community that could truly be called just, even if that community has yet to exist. And he beats both Marx and Freud to the punch in his examination of the transition into civilization (I haven't read Rawls but the introduction made a compelling case that he does this with the veil of ignorance too).

And he's such an excellent writer too!!! I dragged my feet on Locke for like a month because reading him feels like eating drywall, but this was just electric!!! Yes, the way he lived his life is totally at odds with the worldview he puts forward, but JJR bakes that into his writing in such a way that he ceases to be a hypocrite and becomes a paradox.

This is definitely just the beginning of my obsession with this guy. Looking forward to reading more.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I only read the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, and I don't intend to read more of this book until a later date (though I do intend to read it). The Discourse on Inequality is a very interesting text for students of many fields; political science, sociology, anthropology, philosophy; all are touched upon in this short but packed little essay. The prose is interesting and actually engaging to read, unlike some other enlightenment thinkers who pack their work full of dry, difficult to read prose that is as intellectually stimulating as it is mentally draining. Rousseau is NOT difficult to read at all, but this doesn't diminish from its force at all. I would absolutely recommend it with one disclaimer; that much of what Rousseau says is technically not considered correct nowadays-I wouldn't expect him to have the foresight to be correct, nor would I expect that of many 18th century writers- but the point is not to read this for scientific or intellectual facts, it's to read how someone pieced the world together, and that's what Rousseau does here.

[ruby vozza · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the only translation i have read of Political Economy and that was a fine read, but i do not care for this translation (at all) for Rousseau's discourse on inequality nor for his discourse on the arts and sciences. The whole time I read this translation of those two discourses, I kept being reminded that I was reading a translation of Rousseau, not Rousseau. I think the translators attempted to mold Rousseau's work into a treatise (a disservice to Rousseau), and it felt extremely rigid...like if you were to take Plato and try to fit his work into an Aristotelian model (no thank you!). The Masters' translation of Rousseau's first two discourses, which i read before reading "The Basic Political Writings," is more beautiful and absolutely superior.

[Austin Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read "On The Social Contract." Very interesting. You can see much of modern political theory reflected in Rousseau. He draws heavily upon classical constitutions and history for his conclusions. Rousseau also operates from an optimistic view of man's nature and contradicts Aristotle's assertion that man is a political animal (?). His comments at the end on religion were fascinating in light of the Roman Varro, who claimed much the same thing (and was the target of Augustine's first ten books in City of God), and contemporary society's adoption of his proposed civil religion: moral therapeutic deism with one cardinal sin, intolerance.

[Isaac Colvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Social Contract is really good but the others are unnecessary. Conception of the general will in three aspects was more fleshed out than I expected, & approval of Islamic Caliphates was extremely surprising. Otherwise I don't know what to say I'm pretty fucking sick of 18th Century political economy and done putting Rousseau in my essays. Unless you study political history or philosophy or just hate yourself do not bother with these writings, get summaries in plain english from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on JJ Rousseau.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last chapter on civil religion is pure genius. A pleasure to read in general. Regardless of the ambiguities and, sometimes, contradictions, Rousseau put forward his ideas and their structures very clearly. All themes for him seem to revolve around a certain kind of proportion.

[Ian]

Read Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men and The Social Contract

Interestingly Rousseau's issues with the world are still very relevant

My favorite of the contractarians!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas, but his underlying principles seem a little off. His idea that society corrupts is close to the idea of original sin just without the individual burden/responsibility. His primitive man is a pre-Adam which makes me think evolutionary theory was in the air.

[Dylan Blayney]

Loved the rebuttal to Hobbes' idea of the state of nature and the locking of inequality via the social contract, tho dude was lowk exposed by Wollstonecraft for being a deadbeat. Either way, good political work.

[I. Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, but god I do not like Rousseau.

[Alberto Tebaldi · Rating 3 out of 5]

good thinking points like the correlation between technology and human evil, but overall quite utopistic ideas of a perfect moral society

[Ronja]

Discourse on Inequality and Social Contract

[Grace]

Excerpts of On the Social Contract

[Travis Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The social, the slave, and aristocracy!