Rousseau and the Paradox of Alienation

Rousseau and the Paradox of Alienation PDF

Author: Sally Howard Campbell

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 0739166328

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In the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Sally Howard Campbell finds the bridge between the now-dominant psycho-social conception of alienation and the legal-political conception that prevailed prior to Rousseau. She discusses Rousseau's transformation of the concept of alienation and how it laid much of the groundwork for Marx's later, more explicit discussions of man's alienation. Using Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality, Campbell shows how Rousseau depicts the development of man's awareness of himself as a conscious and moral being, illustrating man's journey from a natural state of self-sufficiency to one of dependence and alienation. Paradoxically, she describes Rousseau's belief that a state of wholeness can only be achieved through a man's total alienation of himself to the community, free from the alienating effects of civil society. She concludes that, like Marx, Rousseau believed that alienation can only be transcended through the merging of the individual and the community.

Rousseau's Theory of Freedom

Rousseau's Theory of Freedom PDF

Author: Matthew Simpson

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2006-03-08

Total Pages: 138

ISBN-13: 1847143199

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau has a claim to be ranked above even Karl Marx as the political philosopher who has most influenced everyday life. His much-read philosophy of education alone would qualify him for a high place, but his political theory is even more important: decisions affecting millions of people were made based on the reading of certain lines of the Social Contract. Yet while politicians and scholars have studied this book for 250 years, almost no agreement exists on how to interpret its central concept: freedom. Rousseau's theory of freedom has led him to be called everything from the greatest prophet of individual liberty to the designer of the first totalitarian state. This book offers a new, unifying interpretation of the theory of freedom in the Social Contract. Simpson gives a careful analysis of Rousseau's theory of the social pact, and then examines the kinds of freedom that it brings about, showing how Rousseau's individualist and collectivist aspects fit into a larger and logically coherent theory of human liberty. Simpson's book not only helps us to understand one of the pre-eminent political minds of the 18th century, but also brings us into closer conversation with those he influenced, who have done so much to shape our world. And in light of the interest in contemporary contractualist philosophers like Rawls, Scanlon, and Gauthier, readers will find it worthwhile to return to the thinker who offers one of the most radical, profound, and insightful theories of the social contract ever devised.

Resolving the Paradox of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Sexual Politics

Resolving the Paradox of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Sexual Politics PDF

Author: Tamela Ice

Publisher: University Press of America

Published: 2009-05-16

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 9780761844785

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This book proposes a resolution to the paradox of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's sexual politics—that he is the philosopher of freedom for men yet philosopher of servitude for women. The author examines psychological oppression, which is often overlooked as a consequence of sexual and identity politics, which is revealed in Rousseau's Les Solitaires and Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary. The author addresses logical problems for Rousseau and certain forms of contemporary 'difference' feminisms. With the aid of Simone de Beauvoir's notions of liberty, the author proposes a way to use Rousseau's philosophies to overcome psychological oppression.

Alienation. Recuperating the Classical Discussion of Marx et al.

Alienation. Recuperating the Classical Discussion of Marx et al. PDF

Author: Asger Sørensen

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2024-04-22

Total Pages: 148

ISBN-13: 9004697535

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Nowadays alienation is naturally discussed as an existential condition of human beings, but in the 20th century, a strong Marxist current claimed alienation to be implied by capitalism, in particular by private property and the social division of labor. Alienation should therefore be criticized as part of the critique of capitalism and political economy, and might therefore also possibly be overcome. Today, under the hegemony of neo-liberal capitalism, the basic logic of Marx’s idea of alienation is more relevant than ever, having, as is argued in this book, critical social as well as constructive pedagogical and political potential.

Theories of Bildung and Growth

Theories of Bildung and Growth PDF

Author: Pauli Siljander

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-30

Total Pages: 318

ISBN-13: 9462090319

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Continental philosophy of education and North American educational thinking are two traditions of their own, yet it is fruitful to compare for similarities and differences between the two and thus generate interest in a mutual dialogue and exchange between European and North American of philosophy of education. The present book analyzes theoretical thinking on education from the standpoints of both traditions. The book deals with continental educational thinking while discussing the notion of Bildung and its diversity, from J.A.Comenius to Th. Adorno. In addition, the book discusses the idea of growth inherited from American progressive education and classical Pragmatism. The various contributors to the book offer insights to the theoretical discussion on education, and specify the historical and thematic connections between different thinking models. The book shows that connections between continental educational theories and classical Pragmatism are stronger than generally assumed. As such, the book invites the readers to challenge their own prejudices and views on Bildung and growth, and the relationship between them. “Education would be tyranny if it did not lead to freedom.” (J.F. Herbart) “The teacher who can get along by keeping spontaneous interest excited must be regarded as the teacher with the greatest skill.” (W. James)

The Social Contract, and Discourses

The Social Contract, and Discourses PDF

Author: Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Publisher: J M Dent & Sons Limited

Published: 1950

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 9780525026600

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After an old university friend and fellow archeologist's murdered, forensic archeologist Ruth Galloway travels to Lancashire to examine the bones he found, which reveal a shocking fact about King Arthur, and discovers a campus living in fear of a sinister right-wing group called the White Hand.

Discourse on the Origin of Inequality

Discourse on the Origin of Inequality PDF

Author: Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2023-11-16

Total Pages: 76

ISBN-13:

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Rousseau first exposes in Discourse on the Origin of Inequality his conception of a human state of nature, presented as a philosophical fiction and of human perfectibility, an early idea of progress. He then explains the way, according to him, people may have established civil society, which leads him to present private property as the original source and basis of all inequality. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century, mainly active in France. His political philosophy influenced the Enlightenment across Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the overall development of modern political and educational thought.

Escaping Alienation

Escaping Alienation PDF

Author: Warren Frederick Morris

Publisher: University Press of America

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 9780761822202

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Relying nearly exclusively on Hegel's ontological conception of the authentic self, the author seeks to explicate the causes of alienation and offer a method for overcoming it. Hegel's idea that human history is the quest through rational freedom towards spirit is advanced as the fundamental truth for overcoming alienation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Rousseau

Rousseau PDF

Author: Céline Spector

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2019-07-20

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 1509516522

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau is one of the most controversial philosophers of the eighteenth century, and his groundbreaking work still provokes heated debate in contemporary political theory. In this book, Céline Spector, one of the world’s foremost experts on Rousseau’s thought, provides an accessible introduction to his moral, social and political theory. She explores the themes and central concepts of his thought, ranging from the state of nature, the social contract and the general will to natural and political freedom, religion and education. She combines a skilful exposition of Rousseau as a ‘man of paradoxes’ with a discussion of his often-overlooked ideas on knowledge, political economy and international relations. The book traces both the overall unity and the significant changes in Rousseau’s philosophy, accounting for its complexity and for the importance of its legacy. It will be essential reading for scholars, students and general readers interested in the Enlightenment and more broadly in the history of modern political thought and philosophy.