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THE MODERN VALUE OF THE STATE OF NATURE IN ROUSSEAU’S POLITICAL THOUGHT

Year 2021, Issue: 31, 211 - 224, 12.05.2021

Abstract

Rousseau’s early political work, Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, seeks to conceptualise the transformation of the savage human of the state of nature into the rational human of the state of civilisation. On the whole, his narrative seems to construct a pessimistic narrative of history, demonstrating the inevitable downfall of humanity from a blissfull starting point to a bloodstained, conflict-ridden terminus. In this article, I aim to re-evaluate this negative value of the state of nature in Rousseau. To this end, I emphasise the shift in the role of society as regards freedom in his later political work, On the Social Contract, in which not the egoist savage human but the sociable modern human being is thought to be the ultimate goal. I suggest that, instead of considering the hypothetical period of the state of nature as a bygone era of humanity, it could be re-evaluated as providing us with a telos for the human being of the state of civilisation. The simplicity and compassion of the savage human, who is immune from the destructive sentiment of amour propre, might be seen as equipping the modern human of excessive egoism with a horizon to determine its line of development.

References

  • Aristotle. Politics. Translated by B. Jowett. In The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation, edited by Jonathan Barnes. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1995.
  • Bertram, Christopher. Rousseau and The Social Contract. London, New York: Routledge, 2004.
  • Bachofen, Blaise. “Der erste Naturzustand als wahrer Naturzustand. Die Tragweite einer anthropologischen Untersuchung.” In Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Die beiden Diskurse zur Zivilisationskritik, edited by Johannes Rohbeck and Lieselotte Steinbrügge. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
  • Cassirer, Ernst. Rousseau, Kant, Goethe: Two Essays. Translated by James Gutmann, Paul Oskar Kristeller, and John Herman Randall, JR. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1970.
  • Cassirer, Ernst. The Myth of the State. New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 1974.
  • Cassirer, Ernst. The Philosophy of the Enlightenment. Translated by Fritz C. A. Koelln and James P. Pettegrove. Princeton, Oxford: Princeton University Press, 1979.
  • Dent, Nicholas. Rousseau. London, New York: Routledge, 2005.
  • Mensching, Günther. “Das Verhältnis des Zweiten Diskurses zu den Schriften Vom Gesellschaftsvertrag und Emile.” In Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Die beiden Diskurse zur Zivilisationskritik, edited by Johannes Rohbeck and Lieselotte Steinbrügge. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse On Political Economy. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse On the Origin of Inequality. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse On the Sciences and the Arts. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Emile or On Education. Translated by Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1979.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. On the Social Contract. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Stewart, Philip. “Der Zweite Naturzustand des ‘goldenen Zeitalters’.” In Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Die beiden Diskurse zur Zivilisationskritik, edited by Johannes Rohbeck and Lieselotte Steinbrügge. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.

ROUSSEAU’NUN SİYASET DÜŞÜNCESİNDE DOĞA DURUMUNUN MODERN DEĞERİ

Year 2021, Issue: 31, 211 - 224, 12.05.2021

Abstract

Rousseau’nun erken dönem siyaset felsefesi eseri olan Eşitsizliğin Kökenine Dair Söylev, doğa durumunda yaşayan vahşi insanın medeniyet durumuna ait rasyonel insana dönüşümünü kavramsallaştırmaya çalışmaktadır. Genel olarak bakıldığında, Rousseau’nun anlatısı insanın mutluluk dolu bir başlangıç noktasından kan ve ihtilaf dolu bir bitiş noktasına doğru kaçınılmaz düşüşünü gösteren kötümser bir tarih anlatısına yaslandığı söylenebilir. Bu çalışma, Rouessau’nun siyaset felsefesinin görünürde bu olumsuz anlamı taşıyan doğa durumu kavramını yeniden yorumlamayı hedeflenmektedir. Bu amaçla, Rousseeau’nun geç dönem eseri olan Toplum Sözleşmesi’nde yer alan toplumun rolünün özgürlük açısından geçirdiği değişime odaklanılıyor. Buna göre, artık egoist vahşi insan değil toplumcu modern insan nihai amaç olarak ele alınmaktadır. Buradan yola çıkarak, doğa durumunu hipotetik bir döneme işaret eden geçip gitmiş bir dönem olarak görmek yerine, medeniyet durumu insanının ulaşması gereken hedef olarak değerlendirebiliriz. Sade yaşamı ve merhameti ile birlikte amour propre’dan muafiyeti göz önüne alındığında, vahşi insan kavramı aşırı egoizm sahibi modern insanın gelişim çizgisini belirleyecek bir ufuk olarak ele alınabilir.

References

  • Aristotle. Politics. Translated by B. Jowett. In The Complete Works of Aristotle: The Revised Oxford Translation, edited by Jonathan Barnes. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1995.
  • Bertram, Christopher. Rousseau and The Social Contract. London, New York: Routledge, 2004.
  • Bachofen, Blaise. “Der erste Naturzustand als wahrer Naturzustand. Die Tragweite einer anthropologischen Untersuchung.” In Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Die beiden Diskurse zur Zivilisationskritik, edited by Johannes Rohbeck and Lieselotte Steinbrügge. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
  • Cassirer, Ernst. Rousseau, Kant, Goethe: Two Essays. Translated by James Gutmann, Paul Oskar Kristeller, and John Herman Randall, JR. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1970.
  • Cassirer, Ernst. The Myth of the State. New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 1974.
  • Cassirer, Ernst. The Philosophy of the Enlightenment. Translated by Fritz C. A. Koelln and James P. Pettegrove. Princeton, Oxford: Princeton University Press, 1979.
  • Dent, Nicholas. Rousseau. London, New York: Routledge, 2005.
  • Mensching, Günther. “Das Verhältnis des Zweiten Diskurses zu den Schriften Vom Gesellschaftsvertrag und Emile.” In Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Die beiden Diskurse zur Zivilisationskritik, edited by Johannes Rohbeck and Lieselotte Steinbrügge. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse On Political Economy. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse On the Origin of Inequality. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discourse On the Sciences and the Arts. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Emile or On Education. Translated by Allan Bloom. New York: Basic Books, 1979.
  • Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. On the Social Contract. In Basic Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis/Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1987.
  • Stewart, Philip. “Der Zweite Naturzustand des ‘goldenen Zeitalters’.” In Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Die beiden Diskurse zur Zivilisationskritik, edited by Johannes Rohbeck and Lieselotte Steinbrügge. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.
There are 14 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Philosophy
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Emre Karatekeli

Publication Date May 12, 2021
Submission Date February 24, 2021
Acceptance Date April 26, 2021
Published in Issue Year 2021 Issue: 31

Cite

Chicago Karatekeli, Emre. “THE MODERN VALUE OF THE STATE OF NATURE IN ROUSSEAU’S POLITICAL THOUGHT”. FLSF Felsefe Ve Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, no. 31 (May 2021): 211-24.

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