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144 reviews for:
A Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (Translated by G. D. H. Cole)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
3.52 AVERAGE
144 reviews for:
A Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (Translated by G. D. H. Cole)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
3.52 AVERAGE
If you get past the first part which seems to be questionable takes in Anthropology more so than either philosophy or the foundation for an argument, the second part is a very interesting and scarily relevant look into illegitimate rule and tyranny.
This book gave a very interesting argument as to why there is inequality in the world. As a person who doesn't tend to read books of this nature I have to say I enjoyed this one.
The book itself was a little ripper, but here I wish to express my delight at the editor's inclusion of [a:Voltaire|5754446|Voltaire|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1393683411p2/5754446.jpg]'s commentary in the endnotes. Writing in the margins of the copy sent to him by Rousseau, Voltaire shows himself to be less than impressed by the efforts of his contemporary. Alongside single-word zingers like "Ridiculous" and "False", perhaps my favourite Voltairean shut-down follows this passage, where Rousseau claims that "savages" are incapable of experiencing the "moral" aspect of love:
"Imagination, which causes so much havoc among us, never speaks to the heart of savages; everyone quietly awaits the impulse of nature, responds to it involuntarily with more pleasure than frenzy; and once the need is satisfied, all desire is extinguished." (p. 103)
To which the salty Voltaire responds:
"How do you know? Have you ever seen savages making love?"
I dare say he hadn't, no.
May philosophical spatting live long and flourish for yet another three centuries to come!
"Imagination, which causes so much havoc among us, never speaks to the heart of savages; everyone quietly awaits the impulse of nature, responds to it involuntarily with more pleasure than frenzy; and once the need is satisfied, all desire is extinguished." (p. 103)
To which the salty Voltaire responds:
"How do you know? Have you ever seen savages making love?"
I dare say he hadn't, no.
May philosophical spatting live long and flourish for yet another three centuries to come!
Waanzinnig interessante uiteenzetting waarom ‘beschaving’ de mensheid heeft verdorven. Het lijkt me interessant om enkele van zijn argumenten te toetsen aan hedendaags wetenschappelijk onderzoek, maar voor de verdere rest blijft het vertoog fascineren.
Een opmerkelijke passage vond ik tegen het einde van het boek, wanneer Rousseau zich even aan de zijde van Hobbes lijkt te schaart in het debat over de menselijke natuur, dit terwijl hij ‘m in de rest van het boek loopt af te zeiken.
Anyway: zeker een aanrader voor iedereen die benieuwd is naar het OG tegengeluid tegen de verafgoderij van de vooruitgang.
Een opmerkelijke passage vond ik tegen het einde van het boek, wanneer Rousseau zich even aan de zijde van Hobbes lijkt te schaart in het debat over de menselijke natuur, dit terwijl hij ‘m in de rest van het boek loopt af te zeiken.
Anyway: zeker een aanrader voor iedereen die benieuwd is naar het OG tegengeluid tegen de verafgoderij van de vooruitgang.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
