POLI 107 1st edition Lecture 11 Outline of Current Lecture Rousseau At War with Himself His political theory could be considered an attempt at absolution he sought to establish that humans are good so that he at his core is good Left a legacy of potent social criticism At War with the Enlightenment R argued that science and the arts have not ushered in progress leading us instead down a road of moral decrepitude Knowledge does not equal progress Society has corrupted our innate goodness The modern human condition is defined by alienation which begets conflict disappointment and misery Our modern hero will seek true enlightenment through faith sentiment and will Two Phases of R s PT First phase social criticism Second phase a systematic response to existing PT his contrary philosophy Primary Targer Individualism R attacked the individualism of Locke and Hobbes looking to Plato and classical Greek PT for inspiration Two lessons o Obedience was a matter of duty o The community is the font of morality War against Natural Law Egoism Society needs a genuine sentimental bond between its members o This is a product of shared language history and interest not natural law These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Egoism is a manifestation of particular social values o Does not exist in nature Vs State of Nature and Natural Man Construct of state of nature and natural man are contrivances designed to support a writer s conclusions no independent validity Thumbed his nose at convention by using these constructs too admitting they are imaginary Discourse on Inequality Main thesis self interest is not the driving motive of human action and reason is not the natural faculty guiding social relations Instead people tend to rely upon feeling in particular pity when interacting with others Human beings are not naturally wicked evil or coldly self regarding these are perverted images of the natural human Natural humans are inclined toward compassion and goodness o They are not threats or competitors The Noble Savage The noble savage is imagines to exist prior to society It is rugged independent and moved by spontaneous urges rather than reason Simple needs and desires that are easily met by acting alone The natural human tends toward a solitary existence that is also happy Two key social instincts self love and pity compassion Pity is our first instinct when confronting others in nature The noble savage does not need much from other people relationships are simplified and transitory No need for norms to guide social behavior No gravitational force pulling noble savages into communities much of what the noble savage requires can be achieved through solitary effort Because the noble savage is happy it does not need to alter its condition Contra Hobbes Hobbes state of nature is a state of war because the people are fearful for their survival o Fear is an incentive to submit to government Rousseau Hobbes has it all wrong People are naturally compassionate so there is no fear of each other no need for Leviathan R s Critique of Modernity Modernity has not secured human fulfillment or perfection through reason science and society Leaving the state of nature has not enhanced the enjoyment of our lives or made us better people The Tragic Story At some point the natural human sees benefit in cooperation which is facilitated by the pity instinct Leads to conveniences that become ends rather than means People begin to exploit their innate industriousness As a result human nature changes for the worse leading to problems within and between people that increasingly worsen The tragedy We become willing agents of our descent into unhappiness and alienation Our power to achieve greater goals increases our aspirations which become harder to satisfy leading to new aspiration that are harder to fulfill progressive unhappiness Reason swells our self confidence beyond our capabilities Moral of the story we are better off relying upon instinct and sentiment over reason Flaws of Association Cooperation leads to society which imposes norms and morals that falsely promise to help us secure the things we want but only make us unhappy Society replaces the needs of the noble savage with the limitless aspirations of the arch rational egoist R s Attack on Liberal Equality R argues that liberal theory ignores economic inequality and liberal government serves to maintain increase gaps between classes Equality before the law does not lead to economic equality which is a material source of happiness The liberal human is an unequal human R s Dual Conundrum If society is to be a moral force in human life how can it materialize from a perverted society o Answer simplify and reform society human nature can be changed for the better using the noble savage as a north star If government is a manifestation of society what recourse can political theory offer o Answer government can promote society s shared interests and moral standards general will The General Will Freedom is derived from the general will and secured by the government for all citizens Outside of nature only a government in service of the general will can make us human We are made free by becoming subjects The Social Contract The Social Contract is R s most extensive efforts at PT It conveys the legitimacy of the general will to civil society The contract is a formal expression of the general will as touching upon government Government must guarantee freedom and equality Achieved through law indirect actions as well as the redistribution of wealth and civic education direct actions Social Contract Role of the Government Direct actions are justified because not all people are going to follow the general will even though they are disposed to follow it In other words the government must force some people to be free and happy The general will is not oppressive The general will is the political will of the community aimed at the good of the whole community The general will liberates the individual to pursue interests without interference The rights and moral standards of the general will are inalienable Applying the general will In practical terms the general will is only effective in small homogenous societies For these reasons Rousseau romanticizes the small alpine village community as ideal for the application of the general will When the general will is not perfectly