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Individualist and communitarian. Anarchist and totalitarian. Classicist and romanticist. Progressive and reactionary. Since the eighteenth century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been said to be all of these things. Few philosophers have been the subject of as much or as intense debate, yet almost everyone agrees that Rousseau is among the most important and influential thinkers in the history of political philosophy. This new edition of his major political writings, published in the year of the three-hundredth anniversary of his birth, renews attention to the perennial importance of Rousseau’s work.
The book brings together superb new translations by renowned Rousseau scholar John T. Scott of three of Rousseau’s works: the
Discourse on the Sciences and Arts, the
Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men, and
On the Social Contract. The two
Discourses show Rousseau developing his well-known conception of the natural goodness of man and the problems posed by life in society. With the
Social Contract, Rousseau became the first major thinker to argue that democracy is the only legitimate form of political organization. Scott’s extensive introduction enhances our understanding of these foundational writings, providing background information, social and historical context, and guidance for interpreting the works. Throughout, translation and editorial notes clarify ideas and terms that might not be immediately familiar to most readers. The three works collected in
The Major Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau represent an important contribution to eighteenth-century political theory that has exerted an extensive influence on generations of thinkers, beginning with the leaders of the French Revolution and continuing to the present day. The new translations on offer here will be welcomed by a wide readership of both Rousseau scholars and readers with a general interest in political thought.
E-Book Content
JEAN–JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1712–78) was a leading Genevan philosopher and political theorist and one of the key figures of the Enlightenment. JOHN T. SCOTT is chair and professor of political science at the University of California, Davis; he has edited or translated several volumes on Rousseau and is coauthor of The Philosophers’ Quarrel: Rousseau, Hume, and the Limits of Human Understanding. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London © 2012 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. Published 2012. Printed in the United States of America 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN-13: 978-0-226-92186-0 (cloth) ISBN-13: 978-0-226-92188-4 (e-book) ISBN-10: 0-226-92186-7 (cloth) ISBN-10: 0-226-92188-3 (e-book) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712–1778. [Works. Selections. English. 2012] The major political writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau : the two discourses and the social contract / translated and edited by John T. Scott. pages. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-226-92186-0 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 0-226-92186-7 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0226-92188-4 (e-book) — ISBN 0-226-92188-3 (e-book) I. Scott, John T., 1963– II. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712–1778. Discours sur les sciences et les arts. English. 2012 III. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712–1778. Discours sur l’origine et les fondements de l’inégalité parmi les hommes. English. 2012. IV. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712–1778. Du contrat social. English. 2012. V. Title. B2132.E5 2012 320—dc23 2012019388 This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
THE MAJOR POLITICAL WRITINGS OF JEANJACQUES ROUSSEAU THE TWO DISCOURSES AND
THE SOCIAL CONTRACT Translated and edited by JOHN T. SCOTT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS CHICAGO AND LONDON