Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was a pivotal thinker in the history of political philosophy. Making major contributions in a variety of areas, he brought his political theory to bear on subjects such as the novel, music, education, and autobiography, amongst others. Bringing together and reprinting the vital scholarly papers on the broad range of Rousseau's thought, with a particular emphasis on his political theory, this collection includes translations of a number of influential interpretations of his work that (...) were not previously available in English and were prepared especially for this set, such as those of Lanson, de Jouvenal, Weil, Wahl, and Baczko. Organized thematically, and including an initial new introduction by the editor, as well as brief introductions to each individual volume, this systematic collection is undoubtedly an essential resource for a wide variety of students and scholars. (shrink)

A l'aune de la philosophie marginalisant le goût et la cuisine, Jean-Jacques Rousseau parait occuper une place à part et novatrice. Tout en condamnant l'hybris des facéties gastronomiques, il valorise le goût par son lien étroit avec les besoins, avec l'amour de soi, sens utile à juguler les faux désirs et déjouer l'amour-propre. Toutefois, dans l'Emile, ce sens tend à souffrir de la préséance de l'appétit, notion essentielle car utile en société à reconditionner la faim, réorganiser les (...) besoins jusqu'aux moyens de les satisfaire, afin de récréer, par le truchement de la dépense physique, la mesure du plaisir faisant défaut à l'homme civil. En outre, jusqu'à quel point ce schéma de subjectivation par l'appétit est-il compatible avec le dessein politique? (shrink)

Rousseaus Verhältnis zu den Institutionen ist zumindest ambivalent, eher paradox: Einerseits gilt er als ein dezidierter Kritiker nicht nur der Institutionen seiner eigenen Zeit, sondern von Institutionalität überhaupt. Andererseits lässt sich kaum leugnen, dass Institutionen eine wichtige Rolle in seinem Denken spielen. Man mag darin eine gewisse Zwangsläufigkeit erkennen: Sofern Rousseau nicht nur kritisieren, sondern aktiv gestalten will, sofern er nicht nur punktuell intervenieren, sondern seinen reformerischen Vorschlägen Beständigkeit verleihen möchte, bleibt er auf Institutionen und Institutionalität angewiesen. Rousseau (...) ist in diesem Sinne kein Utopist: Auch wenn seine Schriften z.T. utopische Züge aufweisen, wenn sich in ihnen die Tendenz zum Ausbruch aus dem von der Gesellschaft gesteckten Rahmen manifestiert, kehren sie doch letztlich immer wieder zu den Institutionen zurück. Dass dies keine Kapitulation vor der Macht des Faktischen bedeutet, sondern ganz im Gegenteil den Realismus eines aufgeklärten Denkens ausmacht, das sich - obgleich eminent kritisch- stets aufs Neue vor institutionelle Herausforderungen stellt, belegen die in diesem Band versammelten Beiträge. (shrink)

Une forme d'art comprend-elle le critère de son acceptation ou de son rejet par la société dans laquelle elle prend forme? Le public auquel une oeuvre d'art s'adresse possède-t-il la compétence de faire l'exploration qu'elle lui propose? La Lettre à d'Alembert sur les spectacles de Rousseau et la Conférence de Schiller : « Was kann eine gute stehende Schaubùhne eigentlich wirken ? » donnent chacune réponse à ces deux questions par la caractérisation d'une manière de sentir et d'agir propre (...) aux protagonistes du domaine esthétique. Je propose d'examiner si les principes sur lesquels l'un appuie sa condamnation de la représentation théâtrale, l'autre son apologie de l'efficace de la scène, ont leur source et leur valeur dans l'expérience du plaisir du théâtre.Does a kind of art hold in itself the criterion of its acceptance or of its reject by the society in which it takes shape ? Is the public to whom a work of art is aimed enabled to make the exploration it suggests to him ? The Lettre à d'Alembert sur les spectacles by Rousseau and the lecture of Schiller: "Was kann eine gute stehende Schaubùhne eigentlich wirken?" give each one answer to both questions by the caractérisation of a way of feeling and working proper to aesthetic protagonists. I suggest to examine if the principles on which lay the reproof of the theatrical representation by Rousseau and the justification of the stage's efficacious by Schiller stem from and are worth according to the experience of theatrical enjoyment. (shrink)

Individualist and communitarian. Anarchist and totalitarian. Classicist and romanticist. Progressive and reactionary. Since the eighteenth century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been said to be all of these things. Few philosophers have been the subject of as much or as intense debate, yet almost everyone agrees that Rousseau is among the most important and influential thinkers in the history of political philosophy. This new edition of his major political writings, published in the year of the three-hundredth anniversary of (...) his birth, renews attention to the perennial importance of Rousseau’s work. The book brings together superb new translations by renowned Rousseau scholar John T. Scott of three of Rousseau’s works: the _Discourse on the Sciences and Arts,_ the _Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men, _and _On the Social Contract. _The two _Discourses_ show Rousseau developing his well-known conception of the natural goodness of man and the problems posed by life in society. With the _Social Contract, _Rousseau became the first major thinker to argue that democracy is the only legitimate form of political organization. Scott’s extensive introduction enhances our understanding of these foundational writings, providing background information, social and historical context, and guidance for interpreting the works. Throughout, translation and editorial notes clarify ideas and terms that might not be immediately familiar to most readers. The three works collected in _The Major Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau_ represent an important contribution to eighteenth-century political theory that has exerted an extensive influence on generations of thinkers, beginning with the leaders of the French Revolution and continuing to the present day. The new translations on offer here will be welcomed by a wide readership of both Rousseau scholars and readers with a general interest in political thought. (shrink)

Individualist and communitarian. Anarchist and totalitarian. Classicist and romanticist. Progressive and reactionary. Since the eighteenth century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been said to be all of these things. Few philosophers have been the subject of as much or as intense debate, yet almost everyone agrees that Rousseau is among the most important and influential thinkers in the history of political philosophy. This new edition of his major political writings, published in the year of the three-hundredth anniversary of (...) his birth, renews attention to the perennial importance of Rousseau’s work. The book brings together superb new translations by renowned Rousseau scholar John T. Scott of three of Rousseau’s works: the _Discourse on the Sciences and Arts,_ the _Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men, _and _On the Social Contract. _The two _Discourses_ show Rousseau developing his well-known conception of the natural goodness of man and the problems posed by life in society. With the _Social Contract, _Rousseau became the first major thinker to argue that democracy is the only legitimate form of political organization. Scott’s extensive introduction enhances our understanding of these foundational writings, providing background information, social and historical context, and guidance for interpreting the works. Throughout, translation and editorial notes clarify ideas and terms that might not be immediately familiar to most readers. The three works collected in _The Major Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau_ represent an important contribution to eighteenth-century political theory that has exerted an extensive influence on generations of thinkers, beginning with the leaders of the French Revolution and continuing to the present day. The new translations on offer here will be welcomed by a wide readership of both Rousseau scholars and readers with a general interest in political thought. (shrink)

Frederick Watkins’ 1953 edition of Rousseau’s _Political Writings_ has long been noted for being fully accurate while representing much of Rousseau’s eloquence and elegance. It contains what is widely regarded as the finest English translation of _The Social Contract_, Rousseau’s greatest political treatise. In addition, this edition offers the best available translation of the late and important _Government of Poland_ and the only published English translation of the fragment _Constitutional Project for Corsica_, which, says Watkins, provides the (...) clearest possible demonstration of the practical implications of Rousseau’s political thought. (shrink)

Jean Starobinski, one of Europe's foremost literary critics, examines the life that led Rousseau, who so passionately sought open, transparent communication with others, to accept and even foster obstacles that permitted him to withdraw into himself. First published in France in 1958, Jean-Jacques Rousseau remains Starobinski's most important achievement and, arguably, the most comprehensive book ever written on Rousseau. The text has been extensively revised for this edition and is published here along with seven (...) essays on Rousseau that appeared between 1962 and 1970. (shrink)

Discourse on the sciences and the arts -- Discourse on inequality -- On the social contract.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau est l'auteur de l'entrée "économie politique" dans l'Encyclopédie en 1755. A ce titre, il aurait pu être l'un des fondateurs de cette discipline. Pourtant, la définition qu'il en donne est à l'encontre de la pensée libérale des physiocrates, puis des classiques, et constitue une véritable "anti-économique". En hypertrophiant le rôle de l'Etat et en niant l'intérêt personnel, Rousseau est au contraire l'un des pères du socialsme. En niant la liberté humaine, il nie aussi l'existence (...) de choix éthiques. (shrink)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Adam Smith are giants of eighteenth century thought. The heated controversy provoked by their competing visions of human nature and society still resonates today. Smith himself reviewed Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality, and his perceptive remarks raise an intriguing question: what would a conversation between these two great thinkers look like? In this outstanding book Charles Griswold analyses, compares and evaluates some of the key ways in which Rousseau and Smith address what could (...) be termed "the question of the self." Both thinkers discuss what we are by nature, who we have become, whether we can know ourselves or each other, how best to articulate the human condition, what it would mean to be free, and whether there is anything that can be done to remedy our deeply imperfect condition. In the course of examining their rich and contrasting views, Griswold puts Rousseau and Smith in dialogue by imagining what they might say in reply to one another. Griswold's wide-ranging exploration includes discussion of issues such as narcissism, self-falsification, sympathy, the scope of philosophy, and the relation between liberty, religion and civic order. A superb exploration of two major philosophers, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Adam Smith: A Philosophical Encounter is essential reading for students and scholars of these two figures, eighteenth century philosophy, the Enlightenment, moral philosophy, the history of ideas. It will also be of interest to those in related disciplines such as political theory, economics, and religion. (shrink)

This book studies a central but hitherto neglected aspect of Rousseau's political thought: the concept of social order and its implications for the ideal society which he envisages. The antithesis between order and disorder is a fundamental theme in Rousseau's work, and the author takes it as the basis for this study. In contrast with a widely held interpretation of Rousseau's philosophy, Professor Viroli argues that natural and political order are by no means the same for (...) class='Hi'>Rousseau. He explores the differences and interrelations between the different types of order which Rousseau describes, and shows how the philosopher constructed his final doctrine of the just society, which can be based only on every citizen's voluntary and knowing acceptance of the social contract and on the promotion of virtue above ambition. The author also shows the extent of Rousseau's debt to the republican tradition, and above all to Machiavelli, and revises the image of Rousseau as a disciple of the natural-law school. (shrink)

Abstract Modern reflection on the ideal of personal autonomy has its Western origin in the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, where autonomy, or self-legislation, involves citizens joining together to make laws for themselves that reflect their collective understanding of the common good. Four features of this conception of autonomy continue to be relevant today. First, autonomy, a type of freedom, is introduced into modern philosophy in order to make up for a perceived deficiency, or incompleteness, in merely ?negative? (...) freedom (the right to do as one pleases, unimpeded by others). Second, autonomy is taken to be not merely a complement of negative freedom but a higher, more valuable species of freedom. Third, at its origin personal autonomy is not conceived individualistically; rather, on Rousseau's account, autonomy is achievable only if citizens surrender part of their status as individuals and think of their social membership as essential, not merely accidental, to who they are. Finally, Rousseau's conception of autonomy is distinct from the contemporary ideal of autonomy defined as judging or deciding for oneself (according to one's own reason). Nevertheless, there is an important sense in which autonomy as Rousseau conceives it also requires the developed capacity for independent, self-determined judgment. (shrink)

In this book, Rousseau is understood as a theorist of the common person. For Strong, Rousseau resonates with Kant, Hegel, and Marx, but he is more modern like Emerson, Nietzsche, Eittegenstein, and Heidegger. Rousseau's democratic individual is an ordinary self, paradoxically multiple and not singular. In the course of exploring this contention, Strong examines Rousseau's fear of authorship , his understanding of the human, his attempt to overcome the scandal that relativism posed for politics, and the (...) political importance of sexuality. (shrink)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau remains an important figure in the history of philosophy, both because of his contributions to political philosophy and moral psychology and because of his influence on later thinkers. Rousseau's own view of philosophy and philosophers was firmly negative, seeing philosophers as the post-hoc rationalizers of self-interest, as apologists for various forms of tyranny, and as playing a role in the alienation of the modern individual from humanity's natural impulse to compassion. The concern that dominates (...) Rousseau's work is to find a way of preserving human freedom in a world where human beings are increasingly dependent on one another for the satisfaction of their needs. This concern has two dimensions: material and psychological, of which the latter has greater importance. In the modern world, human beings come to derive their very sense of self from the opinion of others, a fact which Rousseau sees as corrosive of freedom and destructive of individual authenticity. In his mature work, he principally explores two routes to achieving and protecting freedom: the first is a political one aimed at constructing political institutions that allow for the co-existence of free and equal citizens in a community where they themselves are sovereign; the second is a project for child development and education that fosters autonomy and avoids the development of the most destructive forms of self-interest. However, though Rousseau believes the co-existence of human beings in relations of equality and freedom is possible, he is consistently and overwhelmingly pessimistic that humanity will escape from a dystopia of alienation, oppression, and unfreedom. In addition to his contributions to philosophy, Rousseau was active as a composer and a music theorist, as the pioneer of modern.. (shrink)

The aim of this contribution is to critically explore the understanding, the goals and the meaning of education in the philosophy of education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In his educational novel Emile: or On Education [Emile ou De l’éducation] he depicts his account of the natural education. Rousseau argues that all humans share one and the same development process which is independent of their social background. He regards education as an active process of perfection which is curiosity-driven (...) and intrinsic to each child. Rousseau’s educational goals are autarky, happiness and freedom. (shrink)

This article explores a perplexing line from Rousseau's Emile: his suggestion that the ‘most important rule’ for the educator is ‘not to gain time but to lose it’. An analysis of what Rousseau meant by this line, the article argues, shows that Rousseau provides the philosophical groundwork for a radical critique of the contemporary cultural framework that supports homework, standardised testing, and the competitive extracurricular activities that consume children's time. He offers important insights to contemporary parents and (...) educators wishing to reimagine an educational system that is currently fuelled more by familial and international amour propre than by children's interests and needs. Not the least of these is his recognition that to reimagine children's education would require a new configuration of the very terms of modern life. Problematically, however, Rousseau's alternative to mechanised clock-time depends on the labour of Sophie, whose time is also reconfigured. For the next generation of children to be educated according to natural time, Sophie's labour needs to be off the clock too, which is just as much a linchpin of her removal from the public sphere of citizenship and the paid workforce as it is of Emile's education for public life, or so the final section of this paper argues. (shrink)

This is a book about why Jean-Jacques Rousseau can be seen as one of the first theorists of the concept of civil society and a key source of the idea of a federal system.

Rousseau's general will is mostly interpreted as promoting social unity at the expense of plurality. Conversely, this article argues that the general will depends on, and preserves, plurality for its formation and legitimacy. The general and the particular are not fixed opposites, for Rousseau, but are interdependent and contextually defined. The Rousseauian universal anticipates Laclau's notion of universality. The absence of any natural foundations for society deprives the universal of any pre-given identity. Likewise, the Laclauian universal names the (...) lack of ultimate ground for society. To prevent either sectarianism or despotism, the universal has to be constructed politically. Rousseau's contingent general will supplements the lack of universality, as diverse groups and individuals construct common values and political objectives that unify them across divisions without suppressing their difference. Due to its originary lack, the general will remains for ever incomplete. That incompleteness conditions the questioning, ambiguity and openness to change characterizing democracy. Key Words: democracy • equality • freedom • general will • Ernesto Laclau • particular • plurality • Jean-Jacques Rousseau • sovereignty • universal. (shrink)

Rousseau a bien compris, mieux que ses contemporains peut-être, le paradoxe de la communication propre aux Lumières, prises entre le développement du savoir et la constitution d'une opinion publique. Avec l'accélération de la circulation des discours et des écrits, comment parler et agir philosophiquement sans se perdre? Comment concilier la culture du secret, issue de la tradition littéraire du libertinage érudit, et la publicité, qui ouvre de plus en plus grands les horizons de la sphère publique? Masano Yamashita examine (...) ici l'articulation entre les stratégies rhétoriques de l'adresse au lecteur chez Rousseau et sa conception proprement philosophique de la communication. Elle met en lumière l'originalité et la lucidité de Rousseau face aux difficultés liées à cette société de l'information d'Ancien Régime. Rousseau cherche les conditions de possibilité d'une parole émancipée et pleinement publique. Au moyen d'une philosophie incarnée mettant en scène une figure de lecteur, il met à l'épreuve l'idée d'un sujet universel, la constitution d'un espace public, le sens de l'exercice de la philosophie, les enjeux politiques et éthiques des actes de discours. La réception des textes et le rapport au public constituent ainsi pour Rousseau un enjeu philosophique. Entre exigence de transparence et désir d'expérimenter les diverses facettes du moi public, se dessine la conception originale que Rousseau se fait de l'homme des Lumières. Masano Yamashita montre que la réflexion de Rousseau sur les manières de vivre dans un espace public, social comme littéraire, débouche sur une véritable vie philosophique. (shrink)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was hailed by Claude Lévi-Strauss as the founder of the sciences of man. This collection of fourteen classic papers devoted to his work addresses the points of intersection between the moral and the political, the personal and the social. The volume is divided into five parts: The Critique of Progress and the Speculative Anthropology, The Naturalizing of Natural Law, The General Will and Totalitarianism, Anticipations of Game Theory and Strategies of Redemption. The articles are accompanied (...) by an extensive, detailed introduction by the editor along with a selective bibliography. (shrink)

s political theory apparently leads us to choose between patriotism and cosmopolitism. The two major works published in 1762, On the Social Contract and Emile , would represent the two sides of the alternative. However, the opposition between patriotism and cosmopolitism is the ultimate development of an internal tension between two aspects of Rousseau’s political concept of people: the intersubjectivity that permits the formation of the general will; and the individual’s devotion to the state. On the one hand, the (...) political community appears as a distributive totality. On the other hand, it is viewed as a collective totality. When generalized, intersubjectivity leads to the formation of both the social concept of people and the moral concept of humanity, while patriotism requires the individual’s loyalty to the nation. In order to maintain the coherence of the very political concept of people and to solve the main political problem - which is to reconcile security and liberty - it is necessary to overcome the dichotomy between cosmopolitism and patriotism. Emile and Rousseau’s original plan for On the Social Contract are consistent on that point. Key Words: cosmopolitism • general will • intersubjectivity • nation • patriotism • people. (shrink)

S'il n'est pas un véritable juriste, Rousseau ne s'en est pas moins intéressé à de nombreux problèmes juridiques, du droit public romain au droit de la famille. La réflexion historique occupe également une place importante dans son oeuvre. Ce sont ces aspects moins connus de la pensée de Rousseau jurisconsulte et historien qui sont abordés dans ce volume, considérant aussi le rayonnement du citoyen de Genève dans l'histoire intellectuelle et politique occidentale. Inspirateur des révolutionnaires français, utilisé plus que (...) compris, récupéré par les uns, dénoncé par les autres, Rousseau a eu une influence sur nombre de penseurs politiques et de législateurs constitutionnels. Le présent ouvrage invite ainsi à suivre la trace de cette influence pour restituer à sa pensée politique la singularité comme l'ampleur de sa place dans l'histoire. (shrink)

De quelle définition de l'authenticité peut-on se réclamer aujourd'hui? L'authentês, en grec, c'est d'abord "celui dont émane une action", son auteur. C'est à mesurer l'envergure et les difficultés de cette quête de liberté authentique qui est celle de Rousseau autant que la nôtre, qu'est consacré cet ouvrage.

This volume includes a step-by-step textual commentary on Jean-Jacques Rousseau s first and second critical discourses on civilization. Rousseau s thesis is that man has become progressively alienated from his own nature and thus perverted by technological and scientific progress. The example of Rousseau shows that critical reflection on modern civilization had already begun during the Enlightenment.".

It is with this specific problem of Rousseau's personal existence--and especially with his determined efforts to clarify its meaning through the meaning of writing--that the present study is mainly concerned.

18. yüzyıl Aydınlanma felsefesinin Romantik filozofu Jean Jacques Rousseau pek çok çalışmaya konu olmuştur. Bu çalışmada Rousseau’nun özellikle başta “Bilimler ve Sanatlar Üstüne Söylev” adlı çalışması esas alınarak onun bilim ve sanatlara bakışı ele alınmıştır. Rousseau, söz konusu eserinde ele aldığı bilim ve sanat hakkındaki düşünceleri nedeniyle çok kez eleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Rousseau’nun bilim ve sanata karşı olduğu yönündeki bir eleştiriyi tartışmaya açmaktır. Çalışma, Rousseau’ya yöneltilen eleştirilere karşı suçlamalara nasıl tepki verdiğini bizzat (...) onun eserlerinden yola çıkarak ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Rousseau’nun derdi uygarlık neticesinde inşa edilen toplumda, insanların değerlerinin nasıl yitip gittiğini göstermektir. Nitekim Rousseau, özgür ve eşit doğan insanların böylesi bir toplumda “her yerde zincire vurulduğunu” ifade eder. O, bu durumun sorumluları olarak gördüğü sahte aydınları ve bilginleri eleştirmektedir. Zira Rousseau, bu kişilerin bilim ve sanat adı altında yaptıkları çalışmaları insanlara tuzak olduğu için eleştirmektedir. Çünkü ona göre, uygarlık durumu, insanı gerçek doğasından ve doğal olan yanından uzaklaştırmakta ve değersizleşmektedir. (shrink)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau: os princípios do Direito Político e a História.

This text examines Rousseau's powerful crtitique of the idea that the self is a transparent, self-evident given. In all Rousseau's writings, the self plays a central explanatory role, but that role is always problematic, always in question. Rousseau kept his distance from his rationalistic predecessors and his materialistic contemporaries, and in that distance we encounter intimations of the post-modern. However, Rousseau is still a realist who criticizes the pretentions of scientists, not science itself, and in doing (...) so offered the profoundest crtitique of the illustrations of his own age. The essays in this volume suggest that we have not yet exhausted the critical riches of his work. (shrink)

Cette uvre fait partie de la serie TREDITION CLASSICS. La maison d'edition tredition, basee a Hambourg, a publie dans la serie TREDITION CLASSICS des ouvrages anciens de plus de deux millenaires. Ils etaient pour la plupart epuises ou unique-ment disponible chez les bouquinistes. La serie est destinee a preserver la litterature et a promouvoir la culture. Avec sa serie TREDITION CLASSICS, tredition a comme but de mettre a disposition des milliers de classiques de la litterature mondiale dans differentes langues et (...) de les diffuser dans le monde entier. (shrink)