Unlock the intellectual treasures of political theory with our meticulously crafted notes from Warwick's PAIS Department's module, "Political Theory from Hobbes (PO201)." Dive deep into the ideas of influential Western European thinkers since the 17th century, benefiting from extensive coverage, in...
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in the city state of Geneva in 1712, and was the son of
Isaac Rousseau who was a citizen of Geneva. Isaac had to leave Geneva after a fight, leaving
Rousseau (at age 16) working as a domestic servant, before taking up a position in the army
as a tutor. This brought him into contact with major Enlightenment figures, and soon moved
to Paris (the centre of the Enlightenment). In Paris, he was surrounded by poverty and vast
wealth. Here, he experienced an epiphany; humans are good by nature, but corrupted by
society. He was forced to leave Paris after a publication was thought to have condemned
religion. He travelled to England and sought refuge with David Hume. His mental health got
seriously bad, and he became paranoid that Hume was plotting against him.
Rousseau’s ‘Second Discourse on Inequality’ was written as an entry to an essay competition
in 1754 for the Academy of Dijon. The question prompt was ‘What is the origin of inequality
among people, and it is authorised by natural law?’. The text was published in 1755. Let’s
break down the question:
Explanatory Question: What is the origin of inequality among people?
When Rousseau answered this question he did it by asking about the persistence of
inequality, not its historical roots. Therefore, the question really being answered was: What
accounts for the fact that nearly all human societies are characterised by significant
inequalities amongst their members.
Normative Question: Is the inequality among people justifiable?
Rousseau’s reasoning is as follows:
If the inequalities among humans persist because of facts about human nature, then they
are likely to be unavoidable so we cannot condemn them as unjust. By contrast, if inequality
persists for other reasons then they are avoidable, so it makes sense to inquire into their
justifiability. From this, Rousseau put together three theses:
Negative Thesis: Inequalities do not persist because of facts about human nature.
Positive Thesis: Inequalities persist because of contingent facts about human psychology.
Normative Thesis: Most inequalities are unjustifiable, because they produce bas
consequences. The badness of inequality is instrumental not intrinsic.
Rousseau was largely concerned with social inequalities (power, wealth, prestige and
authority). These are comparative properties, such that what matters is whether an
individual possesses more of less of it than others. These are the inequalities which most
people are concerned with in modern societies.
There are natural inequalities such as health, strength and talent. These natural inequalities,
according to Rousseau play an imperfect role in determining who enjoys the advantages of
power, wealth, prestige and authority. The role these inequalities play is contingent on the
design of our social institutions. For example, the institution of the patriarchy keeps women
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller samsimkin. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.79. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.