Rousseau; Political Obligation Flashcards
Why is the discourse perceived as a tragedy?
A descent into inequality and unfreedom.
What is compromised through the process of civilisation?
Our freedom
What to the multiplication of needs as civilisation advances result in?
Relationships of dependency and this creates profound unfreedom..
is the process of civilisation reversible?
No, it’s permanent, cannot revert to the state of nature.
Who thinks that Rousseau is saying that we return to the woods?
Voltaire.
What does it mean that we become social creatures? (age of social media)
We are constantly aware of what others think of us.
What do we crave in age of social media?
Crave recognition or praise from others.
Why else would we care how much likes we got on a Instagram post.
Savage man lives within himself, sociable man…
outside himself, he is capable of living only in the opinion of others.
What can we do to achieve freedom in modern society?
Through the social contract.
The starting point; is it utopian or realist?
realist.
The starting point; What does he first want to come up with?
basic constitutional principles for how a modern state can be governed.
The starting point; “taking men for how they are and…
laws as they might be.”
The starting point; What does the quote about men and laws show about changing men ? What can we change?
It shows that we should accept human beings in this state but we can change laws.
The starting point; Is human nature completely rigid?
- No, government will change human beings to ensure they can be governed well.
The starting point; What is the quote that shows human nature is malleable by government;
“It is good to know how to use men as they are, it is better
still to turn them into what one needs to be.”
What is the famous Rousseau quote about chains
“Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.”
The quote about chains is to do with savage or civilised man?
civilised.
