“Rousseau in 90 Minutes” by Paul Strathern is a brief introduction to the thought of Rousseau. Main content ‘Rousseau’s Life and Works’ describes brief Rousseau’s biography with his works, thought and theory. Strathern writes Rousseau’s up and down life political and diplomatic affair on Swiss and Europe amusingly. And he comments Rousseau’s thought focusing masterpieces “A Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts” and “Discourse on the Origin of Inequality”, and concepts of “general will”, “natural law” and “social contract”. Author directly describe Rousseau’s ambivalent temperaments. One were his abnormal tendency, brutal sexual characteristics and roaming life style. Another were the genius for music and literature, and original novel consideration and view point to human nature, human right, politics and social structure.
On “Social Contract”, considering conflicts wills of individuals in a society, ‘Rousseau attempted to overcome this difficulty by introducing the concept of the “general will.” Human society was itself viewed as a collective individual, which retained its collective liberty because it subscribed to its own general will. The general will applied to all because it derived from all. This ensured both liberty and equality as well as fostering a spirit of fraternity.’
By Rousseau’s discoveries and thinkings of humanity, social inequality “general will” and collective liberty, people became conscious of “humanity”, “liberty” and “society”, and they caused the enlightenment, humanism, social reforms and revolutions. Then Strathern stresses on Rousseau’s thought caused romanticism, the French Revolution, the American Revolution, utopianism, communism, socialism, fascism and the social revolution of the 60’s. It’s a rough notion but it has truth at one aspect. I think they include adoption and misuse of Rousseau’s thought. Humanity is not only nature, it’s artificial thing. Also Straighten describes Rousseau’s humanity is a “typical human being”. Social reforms and revolutions includes communism and fascism were arised to settle “inequality arise from society”, but their excepted humanity were “typical human being”.
And expected freedom by “typical human being” is plain and nasty. I think there are two types of freedom (or liberty), freedom for justice or fairness and liberty for equality.
The important thing is Rousseau’s thought causes not only equality and “humanity”, but also prejudice and arrogance.
Also I think humanity is not only natural. Humanity is artificial, artificiality is a nature of mankind. Humanity corrupted by civilisation and culture, humanity also resist against nature.
Rousseau in 90 Minutes (Philosophers in 90 Minutes Series)
Paul Strathern
Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 9 April 2002
96 pages $7.95
ISBN: 978-1-56663-436-6
Contents:
Introduction
Rousseau’s Life and Works
From Rousseau’s Writings
Chronology of Significant Philosophical Dates
Chronology of Rousseau’s Life and Times
Recommended Reading
Index