Talking Politics: HISTORY OF IDEAS Rousseau on Inequality
Feb 2, 2021
Leo Damrosch, a leading expert on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, delves into Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality. He discusses how Rousseau critiques civilization's corrupting influence and outlines the historical progression toward societal inequality. Damrosch contrasts Rousseau's views on humanity with those of Hobbes, focusing on the shift from communal living to a society defined by wealth disparity. The conversation also touches on the artificial structures of modern existence and the need for authenticity in a world shaped by inequality.
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Ask Why, Then Retrace The Steps
- Rousseau frames politics by asking why and how we ended up with inequality rather than what it is.
- He rewinds from our present condition to trace gradual causes, treating the question as historical reconstruction.
Nature Equalizes By Escape
- Rousseau's state of nature is peaceful and self-sufficient, not Hobbes' war of all against all.
- For Rousseau, escape (walking away) equalizes people rather than mutual vulnerability.
Two Kinds Of Self-Love
- Rousseau distinguishes amour de soi (self-preservation) from amour-propre (pride dependent on others).
- He argues pride and social comparison arise later and drive inequality more than basic self-preservation.