Rousseau (born Geneva 1712) lived at the time of transition and was born 2 years before the death of the famous King Louis XIV (absolutism) and died in the decade of the French Revolution.
He was part of the circle of French intellectuals most notably Voltaire who created the encyclopedia. This project aimed to bring together all human knowledge and be a reference for all future generations. This was one of the high points of enlightenment.
In 1750 there was a competition to write an essay debating if 'arts and science had a beneficial effect on morality' Most people would have agreed with this and said yes. However Rousseau disagreed and said 'no', this was dramatic and lead to a permanent break with the enlightenment principles.
His later books helped establish the Romantic movement. 'There is a body of facts to which we must submit. Science is submission. The opposite of this is creating values as until we create them they don't exist. This was seen as rebellion.
His discourse on the origin and foundation of inequality amoung men was that humanity was naturally good but had been corrupted by society. He compares the effects of history on us to a statue that has been damaged by the wind and storm. It became so disfigured that it no longer looked like a human. He suggested that the more civilised we become the less human we become like the statue. Society damages us. 'Noble savage' is someone that is close to nature who lives outside of society. Rousseau was fascinated by these tribes and how they lived.
He gave a clear attack on the clockwork universe and Enlightenment that believed in science as an agent for progress. He suggests that society is making us worse. Voltaire called it a 'book against the human race.' Rousseau was trying to make us like animals and was against civilisation which he said was the problem. His most famous book was 'The social contract' 'Man is born free, and is everywhere in chains.' Hobbes and Locke also discussed this matter as Locke said that we were good people and understood our natural rights. But we needed a sovereign to protect our property. Hobbes said that we needed the Leviathan to control us as we are aggressive and war like. Someone needed to be in power to preserve society or it would end up as man against man. Rousseau said that the main problem is property. The first person that claimed land as his own is the founder of civil society. The problem was property but we should remember that 'the fruits of the earth belong to all and the earth to no-one.'
Rousseau's book was burnt as it caused uproar so he was forced to flee and was helped by Hume. He believed that everyone should only pay attention to nature as nature never lies. Books of your fellow men lie.
He believed that natural man was virtuous. The golden age and a reaction against the corruption of the 18th century society was what he believed in. The Draughtsman Contract disagrees as it suggests we have been ruined like the statue. We should respond to things for our needs like animals as we are free agents operating on our own needs and desires.
Rousseau said that we are sensitive people as our ability to cry shows this. Society corrupts us as it makes us obsess about possessions and social standing. We are 'trapped in the competition of self esteem.' He believed that there was no way back to nature as we are 'taking men as they are, and laws as they might be.'
He was part of the circle of French intellectuals most notably Voltaire who created the encyclopedia. This project aimed to bring together all human knowledge and be a reference for all future generations. This was one of the high points of enlightenment.
In 1750 there was a competition to write an essay debating if 'arts and science had a beneficial effect on morality' Most people would have agreed with this and said yes. However Rousseau disagreed and said 'no', this was dramatic and lead to a permanent break with the enlightenment principles.
His later books helped establish the Romantic movement. 'There is a body of facts to which we must submit. Science is submission. The opposite of this is creating values as until we create them they don't exist. This was seen as rebellion.
His discourse on the origin and foundation of inequality amoung men was that humanity was naturally good but had been corrupted by society. He compares the effects of history on us to a statue that has been damaged by the wind and storm. It became so disfigured that it no longer looked like a human. He suggested that the more civilised we become the less human we become like the statue. Society damages us. 'Noble savage' is someone that is close to nature who lives outside of society. Rousseau was fascinated by these tribes and how they lived.
He gave a clear attack on the clockwork universe and Enlightenment that believed in science as an agent for progress. He suggests that society is making us worse. Voltaire called it a 'book against the human race.' Rousseau was trying to make us like animals and was against civilisation which he said was the problem. His most famous book was 'The social contract' 'Man is born free, and is everywhere in chains.' Hobbes and Locke also discussed this matter as Locke said that we were good people and understood our natural rights. But we needed a sovereign to protect our property. Hobbes said that we needed the Leviathan to control us as we are aggressive and war like. Someone needed to be in power to preserve society or it would end up as man against man. Rousseau said that the main problem is property. The first person that claimed land as his own is the founder of civil society. The problem was property but we should remember that 'the fruits of the earth belong to all and the earth to no-one.'
Rousseau's book was burnt as it caused uproar so he was forced to flee and was helped by Hume. He believed that everyone should only pay attention to nature as nature never lies. Books of your fellow men lie.
He believed that natural man was virtuous. The golden age and a reaction against the corruption of the 18th century society was what he believed in. The Draughtsman Contract disagrees as it suggests we have been ruined like the statue. We should respond to things for our needs like animals as we are free agents operating on our own needs and desires.
Rousseau said that we are sensitive people as our ability to cry shows this. Society corrupts us as it makes us obsess about possessions and social standing. We are 'trapped in the competition of self esteem.' He believed that there was no way back to nature as we are 'taking men as they are, and laws as they might be.'
The problem
To find a form of association that protects our rights whilst uniting everybody without giving away our freedom.
The answer
The general will- an agreement that is decided on and believed in by you as an individual and others opinions that is put together and becomes the law. You then represent yourself as you will follow what you believe.
This was a contrast to liberal and the public/private sphere (Locke and Hobbes) as they wanted to keep the State small as where the law is silent citizens are free to do whatever they want. Rousseau said that laws are making us more free as we are following our own ideas. In the discussion if the majority decides on something the minority are 'forced to be free' and obey the law.
The French Revolution
This took place 10 years after Rousseau died and was believed to be 'the start of a new period/age of Romanticism' - Wordsworth. It was also believed that people would be naturally happy and in contact with our feelings. 'Men are born and remain free and equal in rights', law is an expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally.
However it didn't end the way they thought it should. Revolution collapsed into terror. Mindless, psychopathic violence was used by the Paris mob. The government deliberately used violence and hundreds of thousands of people were killed. The legacy of the terror was to create the association between political upheavals and appalling violence. Therefore Rousseau only made an impression for a number of years and in today's society remains forgotten as everyone is in competition with one another and as Rousseau said only care about possessions and social standing.
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