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Jean-Jacque Rousseau

This research study will provide an analysis of the political theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau by discussing four of his works: Discourse of the Sciences and the Arts (1750), Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1754), Discourse on Political Economy (1755), and his seminal work of political theory, On the Social Contract published in 1762. As these works illustrate, Rousseau's political philosophy was motivated more by his passions and emotions than by reason and logic. He was more interested in describing what the ideal state should be than detailing a structure of how this could be achieved. To Rousseau, government was a necessity for the daily execution of civil law, but the direct participation of all members of society was equally important. Rousseau's philosophy also reflects his status in society; he was the first modern political writer who was not a member of the elite class, and as such was excluded from automatically receiving the benefits of the existing order. His belief that all members of society should share equally in its freedom, security and property most likely stems from his background.

During the Age of Enlightenment in which Rousseau was writing, the birth of modern science, government and political philosophy took place. Philosophers rejected the dogmatism of previous times, and placed more value on the individual rights of citizens, on reason and progress than on religion. The natural world was more worthy of examination than the spiritual world. Most important, the belief grew that a Republican form of government was preferable to a single, all-powerful ruler. Although Rousseau proclaimed many ideas of the Enlightenment, he was also a critic of its ideals. This can be seen in his Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences.

In opposition to the prevailing ideas of the Enlightenment thinkers, Rousseau believed that the simple and poor culture of the past, such as Sparta, was a mo...

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Jean-Jacque Rousseau. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 10:27, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1709599.html