Need for virtue, History

Assignment Help:

Rousseau and the need for Virtue

If Voltaire was the prime example of an Enlightenment philosophe who promoted reason as the essential characteristic of human beings, the other tradition of Enlightenment thought which emphasized virtue was embodied by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Rousseau was born in the city of Geneva, which meant he was a Calvinist and a citizen of a republic. He was, like Diderot, the son of a watchmaker, who educated Jean-Jacques informally but intensely. As a teenager, the young Rousseau left for Paris, converting to Catholicism along the way. He was very interested in the Enlightenment, but concerned that its emphasis on reason as the source of all useful knowledge was misguided.

In 1750 he became well known for an essay in which he argued that despite what the philosophes said practical knowledge did not contributed to morality at all; instead it had corrupted people's morals in Europe, because it had encouraged people to become reliant on others rather than producing all they need for themselves. He considered such a situation to be unnatural, because it inevitably led to inequality (moral, political and economic) among people.

 


Related Discussions:- Need for virtue

How did the samurai become such a powerful force in japan, How did the Samu...

How did the Samurai become such a powerful force in Japan? Why did the "Shogun" remain in power in Japan for so many centuries

Describe and analyze two discrepancies you notice, The Industrial Age gave ...

The Industrial Age gave rise to great disparities in wealth and living conditions as more and more people moved from being entrepreneurial farmers to wage-earning factory workers.

Metaphorical storyline in the documentary, In Imagining Indians, The centra...

In Imagining Indians, The central controlling metaphorical storyline in the documentary, Imagining Indians, that ties the interviews together are the A) The dentist office scene

Roman philosophy reflected in the modern western worldview, Describe one wa...

Describe one way that you see a particular tenet of Roman philosophy reflected in the modern Western worldview

Mexico during the mexican-american war, What were the reasons the Americans...

What were the reasons the Americans had for wanting to go to war with Mexico during the Mexican-American war? Please make the reasons debate-formatted for going against the antiwar

Long-term consequences of that showdown, After considering the alternatives...

After considering the alternatives, do you think that Kennedy responded correctly to the Cuban missile crisis and what were the long-term consequences of that showdown?

Pirate bartholmew roberts, Wonderin why it is that the pirate Bartholmew Ro...

Wonderin why it is that the pirate Bartholmew Roberts is considered successful? Was there something specifically that he was known for to make his sucess so known? much appreciatio

Compromise of 1850 and the kansas-nebraska act, Evaluate the effectiveness,...

Evaluate the effectiveness, or ineffectiveness, of both the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Why was hiroshima such an ideal target for american bombing, Based on the b...

Based on the book, Hiroshima by John Hershey; 1) According to the book, why was Hiroshima such an ideal target for American bombing? 2) Discuss the experiences of one of the cen

Region of nationalistic pressure during the 19th century, Which of the foll...

Which of the following is not a region of nationalistic pressure during the 19th century

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd