Essay on Political Theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-178)

University of Guyana

Faculty of Social Sciences

Centre for Communication Studies

Soc 1200: Introduction to Sociological Theory

Submitted to: Mr. Desmond Leitch

Group members : Clestine Juan and Shamar Meusa

Date: May 13,2021.

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Introduction

Political theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) had once stated “Man is born free

and everywhere he is in chains” which not only summarises his entire philosophical system,

but it also proves how important he still is today. When people are in society, they are "in

chains." The society places all sorts of rules on them that limit their freedom. This is what the

quote means--it is saying that people in societies have these rules that govern them and limit

their freedom.

Rousseau posited what it would have been like at the beginning of history, an idyllic period

that he called "the state of nature." A long time ago when men and women lived in forests

and had never entered a shop or read a newspaper the philosopher pictured people more

easily understanding their own minds and so being drawn toward essential features of a

satisfied life, a love of a family, respect for nature, an awe at the beauty of the universe,

curiosity about others and a taste for music and simple entertainments.

What is the ‘State of Nature’

The "state of nature" was moral and guided by spontaneous pity, empathy for others and their

suffering. In modern terms probably like the Paleolithic era talking about the time period in

which man has become certainly distinguished from animal he is no beast and yet at the same

timehe's definitely not civilize either Rousseau was notorious in his conviction that the

development of art science and civilization generally was not a positive influence on mankind

but actually a severely corrupting one. He saw mankind in its natural state as being humble,

wise, judicious, even noble and that every step away from the state of nature was one very

much in the wrong direction.

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Rousseau had argued that in a state of nature man has two innate impulses self-preservation

what he calls ‘amour de soir’ which means love of self and pity or a repugnance towards

seeing suffering in others.

He argues that during evolution man started to become civilized by comparing himself to

others through what equals perfectibility essentially man's capacity for mimicry and

development by copying others as man enters society. Tough this ‘amour de soir’ the love of

self transforms into a more prop which is a sense of his own self-worth. This stems from man

learning from others but simultaneously comparing himself to them which diminishes is pity

for others modern society is defined by ‘amour prop’ to the detriment of man and so

everywhere he is in ‘Chains’ comparing himself to others.

In Rousseau’s state of nature man was: Neither good nor evil, Quarrelsome nor domineering,

Not educated; not progressive, had no speech, At that time man did not live-in society and

had no culture, Man was amoral; he was neither moral nor immoral. There was a state of

peace. Man was born naturally good. Primitive man had no property; therefore, there were no

social classes.

Rousseau analysed the foundations of mankind because it is his belief that it's only when you

truly understand what humans are like by nature that you could possibly come up with some

kind of political system to suit our ideas.

Rousseau’s contribution to society and its impacts

The theorist contends that the only way a society can be formed is by a covenant a pact a

social contract. He argues that even if people choose a leader a social pact based on a prior

agreement must have already been in place to begin the decision-making process.
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Rousseau no one gives up their freedom for other individuals, but for the idea of an equal

community. The community then is an abstract idea that is part of the individual, it is a

concept that the individual creates rationally for themselves. Rousseau conceptualizes a

historical contribution to philosophy and psychology this metaphysical community or society

is where famous theorist Sigmund Freud takes inspiration from for the super-ego.

In Rousseau’s state of nature man was: Neither good nor evil, Quarrelsome nor domineering,

Not educated; not progressive, had no speech, at that time man did not live-in society and had

no culture, Man was amoral; he was neither moral nor immoral. There was a state of peace.

Man was born naturally good. Primitive man had no property; therefore, there were no social

classes.

Rousseau analyzed the foundations of mankind because it's his belief that it's only when you

truly understand what humans are like by nature that you could possibly come up with some

kind of political system to suit our ideas.

Rousseau takes a stridently anti-enlightenment tone when he says the first man who having

enclosed a piece of land thought of saying this is mine. What he is expressing here is that the

development of what we know is civilization this great vehicle of humanity was actually

founded on injustice and so most of our issues that we experience even now in the present

day can be attributed to just this basic fundamental flaw in our system and if we are truly to

live in harmony; if we are truly to live as we are meant to then we need to forego all of this

and return to what is natural the organic state of man.

To this backdrop, civilization has become the natural state of man and you do not see many

people actively regressing from today's world into a state of being primitive. There is a lot to

be gained from this theory, one is that it contributed greatly to the Romantic period

Christianity and the entire medieval era was basically about the fact that mankind is
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inherently wicked and immoral and the way the salvation is to follow this stringent set of

rules.

Rousseau is fundamentally expressing that man when man is in harmony with nature, man in

its optimum state . An example of this would be the environmental destruction in Today’s

and the way that certain classes of our society are completely oblivious or completely

ignorant of the issues of others.

Rousseau's theories impacted society with his ideas of importance of individual freedoms. He

believed the people allow the government to possess power, as they allow themselves to be

governed. In return, the government protects the rights of the people it governs. These ideas

were especially important in changing the world.

For example, the Revolutionary War occurred which then led to the Declaration of

Independence, some say the ideas that Rousseau had were the driving force in this event

Later the United States Constitution and other documents followed.

His ideas today impact us all epically in Democracy and which led to him being perceived as

the Intellectual Father of the French Revolution. He suggests the everyone regardless of

education and property has the right to make his or her will felt in the matter of state. The

general will or common good by any well-meaning, simple, unselfish, and natural persons

from their own experience and conscience, then by the overall educated living amid

artificiality of high society

In the European18-19s century most people who cared for liability did not call themselves

democrats at all-rather constitutionalist or civic republicans. The black Jacobins turned

Rousseau into the slogan ‘the sovereignty of the people.’ The difficulty is that they exercise

sovereignty on behalf of who they took to be ‘the people’ with no clear representative

institutions to check them.

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He suggests that a good government protects the rights of its people. Rousseau’s idea is still

in effect by today when our citizens rally and stand up for their rights Rousseau encouraged

us to not value the negative opinion of others. This belief still stands today with the LGBT

community.

Conclusion

Rousseau's view was that people did not know each other enough to come into serious

conflict, despite having normal values thereby modern society is to be blamed for the state of

nature's disruption, the true freedom.