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.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9780226921884
Publisert
2018
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Chicago Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter