Rousseau's "Second Discourse on the Origins of Inequality" - An Outline with Reflection Questions (INCOMPLETE)

I did a lot of work preparing and completing this discourse, but I haven't had time to fully write out all of my notes. This will have to remain incomplete for now.

Introduction to the Goal of  the Work (101 - 104) 

Rousseau is going to be dealing with two kinds of inequality, both "natural or physical" and "moral or political". He explains that natural refers to the differences in physical and mental prowess while the moral refers to the inequality which develops when man comes together in society. "The latter consists in the different privileges that some men enjoy to the prejudice of others, such as to be richer, more honored, more powerful than they, or even to make themselves obeyed by them." He does not want to just simply say that those who have more in society are simply those who were more gifted naturally, that is not where he is going with this. 1

 

What is the true state of nature of man? When did civilization happen? When did laws come about? What is the origin of government? These are the questions that are going to be explored. Now Rousseau points out that the theorists of these questions in his time have not going back far enough. They have in pointed the "state of nature" too late in man's development when he is already corrupted and then claim that society is the solution for those ills. Rather, going back further man will not have those issues. "All of them, finally, speaking continually of need, avarice, oppression, desires, and pride, have carried over to the state of nature ideas they had acquired in society: they spoke about savage man and they described civil man." 2

Now in this account Rousseau admits that he doesn't have historical knowledge of much of this, but rather he is speculating what must have been philosophically. He imagines how may might have developed in the most universal sense. 3

First Part 

A Pondering on Man's Savage Physical Nature (104 -113) 

In this "history" Rousseau is not dealing with the organic evolution that got man to his state, but just starting there. 4 By there is meant man as nature first produced him with the animals and living on the abundance of nature. "... walking on two feet, using his hands as we do ours, directing his gaze on all of nature, and measuring the vast expanse of heaven with his eyes." 5 In this state man was hardened by nature, hunting and surviving without even tools to help him. 6 Hobbes claimed that man was always looking to fight, but Rousseau says that man was always willing to run from a fight and to avoid danger as the circumstances of life are always changing. Man does learn to fight the beasts and become comfortable around them though. 7 Or he can run from them too. But man does face things in this state like infancy, old age, and sickness. 8

A Pondering on Man's Savage Metaphysical and Moral Nature (113 - 119)

A Pondering on Man's Savage Linguistic State (120 - 126) 


Man in the beginnings of community and why the savage state was better (126 - 141)

Second Part

The Beginning of Socialization and Comparison (141 - 146)

The Origin of Family life, Language, and luxuries (146 - 150) 

Luxuries produced by the group and the development of modern society (151 - 155) 

People Taking Advantage of Man's addictions and the Development of the Rich Class (156 - 159) 

The Origin of Governments ( 159 - 172) 

Government turns into Despotism (172 - 179) 

Closing (180-182) 

Themes

Connects with the theme of the course as man and his alienation. Here alienation is society and leaving isolation and entering consciousness.  

Naturalist Account - A Darwinian type view of endless small changes and successions over long periods of time from an animal state to a conscious one. chicken and egg problems of development. "Comparative anatomy has as yet made too little progress and the observations of naturalists are as yet too uncertain for one to be able to establish the basis of solid reasoning upon such foundations." (105) 

Is Man to Be An Animal? - Nature well suited man. The state of nature is preferable. But it all sounds like Rousseau is describing an animal, not a man. Is the burden if consciousness worth it

Technology Brings Problems - Technology and civilization brought man into an unnatural state and made him sick, depressed, and unwell. Man is changed in his very nature to desire the live of slave, and yet does not know why he is sick and wants to kill himself or completely indulge in this new life. Technology changes the way we live, we should roll it out slower, is there any going back?

Living Together - Living together ends in pure despotism and the dissolution of all nature. 

Freedom -  is the fundamental and only virtue 

Bonus - Does the law bring with itself the disorder? 

Cosmopolitan should we feel guilty about inequality?

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1 - Rousseau, Jean Jacques. The First and Second Discourses. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1964. Pg. 101

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