Rousseau Music Language and Freedom (original) (raw)
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Rousseau's Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
The argument of the first Discours is governed by the antithesis between the ‘original’ nature of man on the one hand and the corruption of modern civilisation on the other; this antithesis is developed in terms of a contrast between the freedom implied by true being and the enslavement and estrangement which is the human condition in the modern world. Rousseau is concerned not so much with historical details as with the moral theme which allows him to separate the original elements of man’s being from the artificial elements added by the process of civilisation. By ‘original’ Rousseau means ‘what belongs incontestably to man’. Rousseau is therefore concerned to distinguish the essential and authentic as given by true original being from the accidental and artificial elements added by civilisation.
Rousseau's Critique of the Enlightenment: The Science of Man
In this paper, I show that the Enlightenment can be understood as the attempt to harness the predictive power of Newtonian science within the social sphere, and thereby establish a new social science. I then argue that Rousseau criticizes this attempt in his Discours sur les sciences et les arts on two grounds: on the one hand, he holds that the popularization of science, which results in the creation of social science, is fatal to the virtues of a nation; on the other, he maintains that such social science is not science at all, but a vulgarized version of it, what we call scientism. This presentation is composed of three parts. In the first, I explain the philosophical consequences of what Hume calls the Newtonian Revolution. My focus here is to show that Newton’s physics does not refute, for instance, metaphysical or teleological thinking. Rather, Newton simply articulates a method that, on the one hand, can predict the course of nature, and on other hand, neither requires metaphysics nor teleology to achieve this. This is important, for it shows that the Enlightenment that follows is not the consequence of some definitive refutation of, say, first principle philosophy. No, the Enlightenment is mainly inspired by the predictive power of Newtonian physics. Its advocates, notably Voltaire, thus go in search of an epistemology that can be graphed or mapped onto Newton’s physics. In the second part, I explain how this search results in a new, universal conception of man, and a social science that attempts to predict the course of human nature in terms of man’s passions and commerce. Rousseau’s critique, which engages the philosophers of the Enlightenment on precisely these grounds, is then developed in the last part.
Rousseau and the Dilemma of Authority
IN REFLECTING on Rousseau and authority, one should face first the perennial problem of Rousseau's own authority. Many reject the thoughts because they reprove the thinker. Rousseau celebrated his human weaknesses in a manner that ill becomes a philosopher of stature. And not only did Rousseau celebrate his weaknesses, those weaknesses resonate ominously with certain first impressions imparted by his work. Should one take seriously a critique of civilization by a man so imperfectly civilized? Should one follow pedagogical t~eories proffered by an incompetent tutor and derelict father? Should one bother with the ideal of virtue proclaimed by a neurotic who once stood in an alley baring his penis to shock the passing young ladies of Turin? To an unusual degree judgments about Rousseau's character have entered into the assessment of his ideas. The reasons for this have to do not only with his character, but also with his ideas. ( 2) To many Rousseau's principles have seemed to have a powerful influence in undercutting established systems of authority in both politics and pedagogy, and one of the best strategies in defending the threatened authority has been to call into question the authority of the threat.
Problemy Wczesnej Edukacji, 2015
The personality and creativity of Jean-Jacques Rousseau are multifaceted, sometimes difficult to structure and observe in modern humanistic theorizations, although the idea of a special social function of personal sovereignty and the idea of history as a meaningful synthesis of historical facts have not lost their relevance today, if we find the necessary range of review and ways of implementation. Another example – the idea of education as a system, which should be the very nature – the nature of the pupil, the “nature-loving” educator, and the natural educational process itself. If we consider the idea of following the natural pupil so as to create conditions for detection, disclosure, and facilitating the full deployment of the individual capacities of the pupil, this idea is at least highly relevant. This is an aspect of the modern psychological, pedagogical, and even – political – mainstream, the focus of what is most concerned about contemporary human society and its various i...
Theodicy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
European Scientific Journal, 2016
Throughout all of Rousseau’s works there is tension between argumentation and feeling, speculation and intuition, reason and conscience. Reason binds men when they think correctly, but divides them and opposes one to the other when they place it at the service of self-interest, of ambition and of the will to prevail. Conversely, the universality of conscience is immediate and transparent: it transmits the truth of the existence of God, of the freedom of men, of the distinction between good and evil, as well as of the universal principles that are at the roots of human action and of the virtues honoured by all human societies, despite the differences of particular legislations. Mankind possesses an innate and intuitive conscience of the fundamental principles by which its conduct must be inspired. Were we to consider human actions only according to the criterion of physical need, of causality and of movement, vices and virtues would disappear and terms like morality and honesty would...