The Basic Political Writings Written By Jean Jacques Rousseau

In the book The Basic Political Writings written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Rousseau in the beginning of the book states a very important question that he hopes to answer in parts throughout the book, the question being: What is the origin of inequality among men, and is it authorized by the natural law? Rousseau takes a different approach than all the other philosophers on trying to figure out the origin of man and their so-called inequality. Rousseau’s point of view on the state of nature differs from other philosophers such as Locke and Hobbes. How do you find the origin of man? Where can the origin of civil society be traced back too? How are men perceived in the state of nature? Does inequality exist in the state of nature? In what†¦show more content†¦Man being in the state of nature causes tyranny and in the end does cause some inequality among men, whether or not it changes the moral code of society is the bigger question. Although Rousseau does not believe th at inequality exists in the state of nature he wrote a whole essay answering the question of where does man originate from and is he equal in the state of nature? Rousseau sees the first step of exiting the state of nature and getting closer to origin of tyranny is when man decides to leave the lifestyle of being alone and always wandering to settling down and making a house and trying to provide for his basic needs and the ones that are not as necessary as: nourishment, rest, shelter and self-preservation. This is the stage where you see the element playing a part in man’s life and in the way civil society came to be. Man is no longer just worried about himself he has to provide not only for himself but for his entire family which he is searching for. Natural man or savage man lives within himself whereas Rousseau argues that civil man lives in the judgement of others. This is one of the big reasons has to how inequality fomed. All the inequalities Rousseau does take about or basically economic things that happen in nature. This type of economic ineuality is among the many other inequalities but is one of many that inequality originated from. If man had stayed restricted to working by themselves they would have remained free, healthy, good and happy asShow MoreRelatedImpact Of The Enlightenment On Modern Political Thought1841 Words   |  8 PagesApril 1, 2016 The Impact of the Enlightenment on Modern Political Thought The philosopher John Locke once said, â€Å"[g]overnment has no other end, but the preservation of property† (â€Å"John Locke†).   The social contract is the fundamental basis for modern government.   This idea affects everything we believe a modern state should represent for itself and its people.   This way of understanding the role of government was inspired by the writings of the Enlightenment era philosophers. 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