rousseau - the confessions

8/9/2019 Rousseau - The Confessions

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Tuyet 1

Nguyen, Thi Bach Tuyet

2011190173

UIC 3604 – 01Language, Histoy an! "o#itics in $ean%$ac&ues 'ousseau – (ina# "a)e

The Confessions is one o* the +ost )o)u#a o-s o* 'ousseau. It is his auto/ioga)hy in

hich 'ousseau e*#ects on this entie #i*e *o+ chi#!hoo! to the +o+ent o* iting this

auto/ioga)hy in o!e to +a-e a u!g+ent o* his #i*e an! o-s. Thus, the /oo- shaes a c#ose

connection ith a nu+/e o* his )eious itings such as the noe# Emile. ne o* his centa#

thoughts in the Confessions is the natua# goo!ness o* hu+an /eings an! it is a#ays !estoye!

/y society once hu+ans ente into e#ations ith othe )eo)#e. This signi*icant i!ea is e*#ecte! in

the e!ucationa# +etho!s that 'ousseau )esents in Emile. nothe i+)otant thought hich is

a#so connecte! to the noe# is the i+)otant o* -noing hat is natua# an! hat is ati*icia#

though !iect e)eience athe than though i+agination.

In the *ist )#ace, 'ousseau insists in the Confessions that hu+an natue is goo! an! it is

the conta+inate! enion+ent in hich )eo)#e ae #iing that causes the +oa# !estuction in

hu+an /eings. To su))ot his )oint o* ie, 'ousseau *ist gies an honest account o* his #i*e,

a!+itting his #oss o* itues on the )ocess o* socia#i5ation. His )esentation as a +an ho #ost

itue is i##ustate! ith a nu+/e o* his #i*e eents in hich he #e*t his *ien! /ehin!, he

a/an!one! his on chi#!en, o he !i! the ong actions. es)ite his a!+ission o* his +is!ee!s,

'ousseau +a-es a c#ai+ that een the +ost ituous +an cannot su)ass hi+ in the a+ount o*

natua# goo!ness. t the *ist g#ance, his se#*%)otaya# as a +an ho #ost itues an! his c#ai+ o*

his natua# goo!ness see+s to conta!ict each othe. Hoee, i* the !istinction /eteen natua#

goo!ness an! itue is +a!e c#ea, one can tu#y un!estan! hat 'ousseau +eans /y c#ai+ing

his natua# goo!ness. (o 'ousseau, hu+an /eings ae ha))y an! content /y the+se#es in

natua# stage hich has yet to /e in*#uence! /y socia# e#ations. In this natua# stage, )eo)#e !o



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cicu+stances hich !o not *ao hu+ans goo!ness, athe than /y tying to e)ess the !esies

to !oing ha+s.'ousseaus i!ea o* natua# goo!ness an! the !eti+enta# i+)acts o* socia# *oce on )eo)#e

ae c#ose#y connecte! to his ie o* natue an! society in Emile. In this noe#, 'ousseau stong#y

eects the i!ea o* oigina# sin: /y stating that; the *ist +oe+ents o* natue ae a#ays ight.

Thee is no oigina# )eesity in the hu+an heat. Thee is not a sing#e ice to /e *oun! in it o*

hich it cannot /e sai! ho an! hence it entee!:. By eecting the /e#ie* that hu+an

auto+atica##y co++it sins hen they ee /on, 'ousseau suggests that i* thee is no in*#uence

*o+ society, hu+an natue is oigina##y goo!. His eection o* oigina# sin is thus !eie! *o+

his *i+ /e#ie* in the natua# goo!ness o* hu+an that he )esents in the Confessions. In a!!ition,

in the noe#, 'ousseau +a-es anothe connection ith his i!ea o* natua# goo!ness /y c#ai+ing

that a+ong thee souces o* e!ucation, na+e#y, natue, +en, an! things, natue shou#! )#ay a

!ecisie o#e in e!ucation. <hi#e 'ousseau !e*ines the e!ucation *o+ things as the e!ucation

though the e)eience )eo)#e hae hen inteacting ith o/ects, he a#so !e*ines the e!ucation

*o+ +en as e!ucation though socia# inteaction. (ina##y, he !e*ines e!ucation *o+ natue is a

ty)e o* e!ucation in hich )eo)#e #ean though thei natua# sense ithout the inteention o*

socia# *oces, o the inteaction ith othe o/ects. 8ince e!ucation *o+ natue is /ase! on

natua# sense hich #ies outsi!e o* hu+an, )eo)#e hae no conto# oe it. n the contay,

)eo)#e hae co+)#ete conto# oe e!ucation *o+ +en, an! #itt#e conto# oe e!ucation though

things. Because they ae thee souces o* e!ucation an! the ai+ o* e!ucation is to ha+oni5e

those souces, it is necessay *o )eo)#e that those to souces that )eo)#e hae conto# oe

shou#! *o##o natue. (o ea+)#e, in /oo- I an! II o* Emile, 'ousseau )o)oses a )o)e

+etho! to ta-e cae o* chi#!en is to ceate an ati*icia# natua# enion+ent in hich the chi#!en

ae not oe)otectie /y thei )aents so that they can go u) *ee#y /y the+se#es. In this



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sense, it is c#ea that his +etho! o* e!ucation hich geat#y a#ues natue is c#ose#y #in-e! ith

his i!ea o* natua# goo!ness.=oeoe, in the noe#, as e## as in a nu+/e o* his )eious iting, 'ousseau

!ee#o)s the conce)t o* a+ou%)o)e hich is in c#ose connection ith his atti/ution o* his

+is!ee!s to the etena# *oces o* socia# e#ations. In this conce)t, 'ousseau suggests that #iing

in a society ith othe )eo)#e, hu+ans ae /oun! to thin- a/out the+se#es in ega! to the

)esence o* othes. s a esu#t, )eo)#e ae inc#ine! to co+)ae the+se#es ith othes, u#ti+ate#y

+otiating the+ to !e*eat othes in o!e to /e /ette o**. In this sense, his conce)t o* a+ou%

)o)e is c#ose#y tie! to his i!ea o* socia# *oces hich +a-e the +aintenance o* natua#

goo!ness i+)ossi/#e. (o##oing this conce)t, 'ousseau a#so !ee#o)s a )e!agogic +etho! hich

ai+s to )ost)one the geat in*#uences o* society on >+i#e. (o instance, 'ousseau suggests that

the )aents shou#! not es)onse ecessie#y to thei chi#! hen he cies. This is /ecause, once the

chi#! #eans that he on#y nee!s to uti#i5e his )oe#essness to !o+inate oe )eo)#e, he i##

continue to use it an! thus his *ist e!ucation is !o+inate! /y the e!ucation *o+ +en. nothe

si+i#a ea+)#e 'ousseau gies is that the )aents shou#! not ty to un!estan! thei chi#! eey

ti+e he sta++es since giing hi+ the ight to a#ays /e un!estoo! is a#so a *o+ o*

!o+ination. In those ea+)#es, 'ousseau )oes that i* the )i+ay souce o* e!ucation is not

*o+ natue /ut athe *o+ +en, it i## /e ha! to )esee the natua# goo!ness o* hu+an

/eings. In his tying to iso#ate the chi#! *o+ socia# *oce, 'ousseau see-s to )eent the negatie

i+)acts o* society on the chi#! an! to aoi! )utting chi#!en in a situation in hich /eing goo! is

i+)ossi/#e.

Haing +a!e a c#ea !istinction /eteen natua# goo!ness an! itues, 'ousseau

)ocesses to !ea# ith the )o/#e+ o* !istinguishing /eteen natua# goo!ness an! ati*icia#

itues. In so+e o* his )eious itings, 'ousseau a#ea!y )oints out that hu+an /eings ae



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a#ays *acing ith the !i**icu#ty o* i!enti*ying thei natue !ue to thei !ee) association ith the

ati*icia# o#! o* society. (o ea+)#e, in the Discourse on Inequality, 'ousseau states that; the

+oe ne -no#e!ge e accu+u#ate, the +oe e !e)ie ouse#es o* the +eans o* ac&uiing

the +ost i+)otant -no#e!ge o* a##, so that it is, in a sense, /y !int o* stu!ying +an that e

hae +a!e ouse#es inca)a/#e o* -noing hi+:. That is to say, since the ati*icia# -no#e!ge

)o!uce! /y society is unnatua# to hu+an /eings, the +oe )eo)#e ac&uie those -no#e!ge, the

+oe they ae +oing aay *o+ the )ath #ea!ing to the !iscoey o* thei natue. This i!ea is

connecte! to his e)#anation o* this )o/#e+ in the Confessions. cco!ing#y, 'ousseau

atti/utes the !i**icu#ty o* !etecting natua# goo!ness o* hu+an /eings to the !is)o)otion

/eteen ones tue /eing an! ones )esenting. The tue /eing o* hu+an is ceate! /y thei

e)eience ith ea#ity in thei #i*e. In this sense, the /eing o* hu+an is ea# an! natue to the+.

n the contay, hu+ans )esentation o* the+se#es is )o!uce! /y thei ati*icia# *ee#ing, an!

thei ati*icia# i+agination athe than thei ea# #i*e e)eience. In the /eginning o* the

Confessions 'ousseau states that; I *e#t /e*oe thin-ing? this is the co++on *ate o* hu+anity:.

To e)#ain this, 'ousseau a#so atti/utes his !e)en!ence on *ee#ing an! i+agination to the

ecessie ea!ing hen he as s+a##. That is to say, 'ousseau easons that since he a/so/s

hi+se#* in the o#! o* /oo-s an! *ictions een /e*oe he ha! a chance to e)eience ea#ity, his

e+otiona# !ee#o)+ent is /ase! on his ati*icia# *ee#ing aouse! /y ea!ing /oo-s athe than /y

his e)eience in #i*e. (uthe+oe, the i+agine! o#! in the /oo- hich is *i##e! ith

unea#istic i+agination /eco+es his ea#ity hi#e it is actua##y not the )esentation o* the ea#

o#!. In the sa+e ay, hu+an /eings a#so )esent the+se#es *o##oing the -no#e!ge they

ac&uie!, hich u#ti+ate#y tuns the+ into a -in! o* )eo)#e a#ienate! *o+ thei natua# se#es. It



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is the !i**eence /eteen /eing an! )esenting that causes the !i**icu#ty o* !istinguishing

/eteen hat is natua# an! hat is the )o!uct o* society.'ousseaus atti/ution o* the !i**icu#ty to i!enti*y natue to the )oe o* *ee#ing an!

i+agination is c#ose#y e#ate! to his conce)t o* i+agination )esente! in the noe# Emile. In the

noe#, 'ousseau into!uces i+agination as a neuta# te+. I+agination is cucia# to the

!ee#o)+ent o* )eo)#e an! yet it is a#so ey !angeous to the+. n the one han!, i+agination

ou#! /e necessay *o the !ee#o)+ent o* a chi#! hen he gos u) an! *u##y !ee#o)s his

sense. (o ea+)#e, 'ousseau suggests that /e*oe teaching a chi#! the conce)t o* inustice, the

teache shou#! aa-e his *ee#ing an! i+agination o* ustice an! inustice so that he ou#! hae a

chance to e)eience it /e*oe actua##y encounteing the conce)t. n the othe han!, 'ousseau

a#so c#ai+s that; The ea# o#! has its #i+its? the i+aginay o#! is in*inite. Una/#e to en#age

the one, #et us estict the othe, *o it is *o+ the !i**eence /eteen the to a#one that ae /on

a## the )ains hich +a-e us tu#y unha))y:. This i!ea suggests that hen the chi#! is sti## not

+atue enough to gas) the +eaning o* things aoun! the+, /eing *i##e! ith i+agination )oses a

geat !ange to the !ee#o)+ent o* a chi#!. This is /ecause i+agination ou#! i!en the ga)

/eteen ea#ity an! !esies. Thee*oe, it is u) to )eo)#e to choose the ight ay to use

i+agination. The case )esente! in the Confessions *a##s into the #atte situation in hich the

i++atue chi#! is ca)tiate! /y the *eti#e i+agination an! thus he *a##s shot in his ea#ity.

<hi#e 'ousseau )o/#e+ati5es the )oe o* i+agination in his Confessions, he a#so )uts

a geat e+)hasis on the i+)otance o* ea# e)eience in the !ee#o)+ent o* hu+an /eings. This

i!ea is the e)#anation *o 'ousseaus c#ai+ in Emile that; I hate /oo-:. In Emile, 'ousseau has

ane! the te+en!ous )oe o* /oo-s /ecause it aa-es i+agination. Not on#y that, 'ousseau

a#so )e*es negatie e!ucation /ase! on e)eience oe )ositie e!ucation hich e#ies +uch

on /oo-s an! -no#e!ge. The +ost )o+inent ea+)#e to i##ustate his )oint is the ea+)#e o*

rousseau - the confessions

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