Jean Jacques Rousseau

1712-1778

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Rousseau was a major philosopher, writer and
composer of the eighteenth-century
Enlightenment, whose political philosophy
influenced the development of modern political
and educational thought.

Jean Jacques Rousseau

Rousseau's primary concern was to discover the
psychological foundations of virtue, which he
understood as the strength of will needed to
respect the rights of others

State of nature
In Rousseau's state of nature, people did not know each
other enough to come into serious conflict, and they did have
normal values
Rousseau saw a fundamental divide between society and
human nature and believe that man was good when in the
state of nature but has been corrupted by the society and the
growth of social interdependence.

Society's negative influence on men centers

on its transformation of
Love of self (amour de soi)
a positive self-love which he saw as the
instinctive human desire for self-preservation
Self love (amour-propre)
a kind of artificial pride which forces man
to compare himself to others.

 In "Discourse on the Arts and Sciences" (1750)

Rousseau argued that the progression of the arts and
sciences has caused the corruption of virtue and
morality.
Rousseau argued that the arts and sciences had not been
beneficial to humankind because they are not human
need.

The Social Contract

It is the preservation of their wealth and preserving lives , liberty
and well-being in general.
The social contract is opened by Rousseau's famous quote "Man is
born free, but everywhere he is in chains. One believes himself the
others master, and yet is more a slave than they." Therefore,
Rousseau believed within his modern state that in order to obey the
law an individual must obey themselves.

 He argued that, by joining together into civil

society through the social contract and abandoning their
claims of natural right, individuals can both preserve
themselves and yet remain free.

 Rousseau encourages the idea of a sovereign

state, which will only be legitimate if it imposes
the 'general will'.
The sovereign does not have absolute power but
only holds authority over situations which are of
public concern, however no one should violate
the social contract as the punishment would be
death.

General will
General will is what rational people would choose
for the common good.
The general will is not the same as the will of all
individuals, because it is not the sum of all
individual private interests. Unlike the combined
will of all individuals, the general will is concerned
with the public interest rather than with private
interests.

Natural freedom
According to Rousseau, natural freedom is acquired by
allowing the General Will to be the ruling factor of a
government.

Educational Philosophy
The aim of education, he said, education does not mean
merely imparting information or storing knowledge.
He minimized the importance of book learning and
placed a special emphasis on learning by experience.
Women needed to be educated as well as men
Discipline according to natural consequences

Man is born free, yet he is everywhere in

chains.
No man has any natural authority over his
fellow men
Do not judge and you will never be
mistaken

Reference
http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_
rousseau.html

End
Prepared by: Abby Espinoza