The Social Problem in the Philosophy of Rousseau by John Charvet

The Social Problem in the Philosophy of Rousseau by John Charvet

This is a critical study of the political and social ideas of Jean Jacques Rousseau. Charvet analyses Rousseau's arguments in his three main works, The Discourse on the Origins of Inequality, Emile, and The Social Contract. The aim is to show how Rousseau's ideas are interrelated and how their development is governed by presuppositions which entail their ultimate incoherence. he shows that the consequences is a corrupt and destructive view of human society and human relations. These presuppositions are implicit in terms of which social relations are to be rethought. What is good about nature is that in it each individual can pursue his own good innocently without regard to others. It is the attempt to translate this natural egoism into social terms that, Charvet argues, produces the incoherent and destructive view of human society. This importance of the book lies in the originality and the implications of Charvet's critical analysis of this attempted translation, and thus of Rousseau's social philosophy in general.

John Charvet is Professor Emeritus in Political Science at London School of Economics, UK, where he taught political philosophy and its history for many years. He is the author of several books, including A Critique of Freedom and Equality and The Social Problem in the Philosophy of Rousseau. His most recent book, written with Dr Kaczynska-Nay, is The Liberal Project and Human Rights (2008).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521114868
ISBN 10	0521114861
Title	The Social Problem in the Philosophy of Rousseau
Author	John Charvet
Series	Cambridge Studies In The History And Theory Of Politics
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	2009-06-25
Number of pages	160
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.