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Book No. – 3 (Political Science – Western Political Thought)
Book Name – Western Political Thought (OP Gauba)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. General Introduction
2. Analysis of Inequalities
3. Social Contract and the General Will
3.1. Genesis of the General Will
3.2. Nature of Popular Sovereignty
4. A Critical Appraisal
4.1. Rousseau’s Contribution
4.2. Democrat or Totalitarian
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Chapter – 10
General Introduction
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) was a mid-eighteenth century French philosopher who closely captured the spirit of the modern age and profoundly influenced his times.
Born in Geneva to a French family; his father was an eccentric who never held a steady job, engaging in watch-making, dancing, hunting, and dueling.
Rousseau’s mother died in childbirth, leading to a neglected childhood without proper education or discipline.
Developed a disregard for conventional morals, such as keeping regular hours, while indulging a limitless flight of imagination.
At sixteen, Rousseau ran away from home after refusing apprenticeship in a trade.
Unlike many philosophers, he had neither steady employment nor noble patronage.
Lived a life of wandering across Europe, experiencing poverty and deprivation firsthand.
Married and had five children but refused family responsibilities.
At times, he quarreled with patrons, cheated friends, and engaged in other immoral acts.
His sense of guilt and troubled conscience led him to seek moral redemption reflected in his writings.
At age 37 (1749), Rousseau gained a turning point by entering the Academy of Dijon essay competition on the topic: “Has the Revival of the Sciences and the Arts Helped to Purify or to Corrupt Morals?”
He argued that progress in sciences and arts had a corrupting effect, ruining mankind rather than improving it.
Claimed that modern culture failed to make men happy or virtuous and that virtue flourishes only in simple societies.
Asserted that the more sophisticated the culture, the more corrupt it tends to be.
His essay won the prize and was published as Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts (1750), bringing him instant fame.
Other important political philosophy works:
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1754)
Discourse on Political Economy (1755)
The Social Contract (1762)
Leading literary works:
Émile (1762) – novel embodying his educational philosophy
The Confessions (1782) – autobiographical account
Some parts of Émile contain retrograde views on women:
Rousseau held that women are naturally inferior to men but cunning to compensate for weakness.
He favored the complete subordination of women to men.
Advised men to avoid becoming emotionally dependent on women.