Rousseau's Theodicy of Self-Love

Rousseau's Theodicy of Self-Love
Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Total Pages : 677
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9780191615559
ISBN-13 : 0191615552
Rating : 4/5 (59 Downloads)

Book Synopsis Rousseau's Theodicy of Self-Love by : Frederick Neuhouser

Download or read book Rousseau's Theodicy of Self-Love written by Frederick Neuhouser and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-07-01 with total page 677 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the first comprehensive study of Rousseau's rich and complex theory of the type of self-love (amour propre ) that, for him, marks the central difference between humans and the beasts. Amour propre is the passion that drives human individuals to seek the esteem, approval, admiration, or love--the recognition --of their fellow beings. Neuhouser reconstructs Rousseau's understanding of what the drive for recognition is, why it is so problematic, and how its presence opens up far-reaching developmental possibilities for creatures that possess it. One of Rousseau's central theses is that amour propre in its corrupted, manifestations--pride or vanity--is the principal source of an array of evils so widespread that they can easily appear to be necessary features of the human condition: enslavement, conflict, vice, misery, and self-estrangement. Yet Rousseau also argues that solving these problems depends not on suppressing or overcoming the drive for recognition but on cultivating it so that it contributes positively to the achievement of freedom, peace, virtue, happiness, and unalienated selfhood. Indeed, Rousseau goes so far as to claim that, despite its many dangers, the need for recognition is a condition of nearly everything that makes human life valuable and that elevates it above mere animal existence: rationality, morality, freedom--subjectivity itself--would be impossible for humans if it were not for amour propre and the relations to others it impels us to establish.


Rousseau's Theodicy of Self-Love Related Books

Rousseau's Theodicy of Self-Love
Language: en
Pages: 677
Authors: Frederick Neuhouser
Categories: Philosophy
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-07-01 - Publisher: OUP Oxford

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book is the first comprehensive study of Rousseau's rich and complex theory of the type of self-love (amour propre ) that, for him, marks the central diffe
Rousseau's Critique of Inequality
Language: en
Pages: 249
Authors: Frederick Neuhouser
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2014-06-19 - Publisher: Cambridge University Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book evaluates Rousseau's arguments concerning why inequality exists in society and why it poses dangers to human well-being.
Rousseau's God
Language: en
Pages: 273
Authors: John T. Scott
Categories: Philosophy
Type: BOOK - Published: 2023-04-18 - Publisher: University of Chicago Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A landmark study of Rousseau’s theological and religious thought. John T. Scott offers a comprehensive interpretation of Rousseau’s theological and religiou
Rousseau, Nietzsche, and the Image of the Human
Language: en
Pages: 183
Authors: Paul Franco
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2021-09-30 - Publisher: University of Chicago Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"Franco explores the relationship between Nietzsche and Rousseau and their critique of modern life. Franco begins by arguing that 'among philosophers, Jean-Jacq
The Rousseauian Mind
Language: en
Pages: 602
Authors: Eve Grace
Categories: Philosophy
Type: BOOK - Published: 2019-01-17 - Publisher: Routledge

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) is a major figure in Western Philosophy and is one of the most widely read and studied political philosophers of all time. His