Rousseau

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Background
include page="Rousseau background" editable="true" Jean-Jacques Rousseau, born in Geneva in 1712, was essentially self-taught, never having gone to school for a single day he gained his knowledge through books. His political theory went on to influence the American Founding Fathers and the French revolutionaries. One of his most well-known theories, in the First Discourse, was that progress led humanity astray from primitive simplicity. He felt that it was society itself that made human beings selfish and wicked, believing instead in the natural goodness of man. Essentially, society is not the solution to the problems we have but it is the problem. Much of his work is said to have contradictions in it, for example he believed in social equality but endorsed a view of female subservience. (Damrosc, Rousseau: Restless Genius 2005)

Readings

 * Rousseau, [|Second Discourse on the Origins of Inequality]. Also available [|here].
 * Rousseau, [|The State of War] (pp. 416-425 in [|Brown et al]).

Summary
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Study Questions
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Lecture Notes
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External Resources
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Selected Bibliography
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