Rousseau Notes

“Discourse on the origin of inequality”

Natural Human:
(opposite of Hobbes)
- We are primitively purer
o “nothing is more gentle than a man in his primitive state”
o men cannot be good or bad, virtuous or vicious
o p. 15 “as he becomes sociable and a slave he becomes weak, timid and servile.”

Examples: animals and native tribes

- By nature, we have free will

- Faculty of self-improvement (perfectibility)
- Self-preservation
- Natural empathy

Thesis: The first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, bethought himself of saying This
is mine, and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society.
- Shade @ Locke

Inequality (starting p. 30):

- Man learns and cares more, becoming conscious that he is better than animals
- P. 31 Families are societies  inequality between husband and wife
- Inventions  necessity (origin of evil) p. 32
- Competition is the first step to competition

Ills of society:
- Property ownership
- Competition
- Concern for reputation

Wealthy man//Tyrant

Happiest man is at the perfect balance between a primitive state of indolence and the petulant
activity of egoism.

How did property give rise to evils?

p. 35