So we didn't actually have a ton of discussion time for the day so it may be a little short, but I still think what needed to be said about Rousseau was said!
First of all we talked about Rousseau's idea of "Noble Savages", how people are innately good in nature and that if people were in a natural state they wouldn't do each other harm. I think we for the most part agreed that this was a really nice way to look at things, but that it is impossible to really know how we would behave in a natural state. Katy also brought up how she had just heard a lesson in her church about Rousseau and that the Bible says we are all born into sin. I'm not too sure what to think of that personally, but maybe Rousseau's image of what is bad and what the Bible's image is of bad aren't exactly the same thing, maybe you can be born into sin and still be good-natured towards other people?
We also discussed Rousseau's idea that society corrupts people. That, to me, is a pretty reasonable thought. If you cram enough people into one small area someone is going to do something to upset someone. We talked about how our society thrives on competition, which can be really harmful to people physically and psychologically, which is possibly part of Rousseau's reasoning as to why society corrupts us.And also how the nature vs. nurture argument relates to Rousseau's theory, that maybe if we had grown up with principles to work for the greater good we would be more likely to live that way.
We also discussed his social contract a little bit. Some say it is totalitarian, and, although I haven't read his book and am not completely educated on the subject, I'm not sure if that is true. What if he was really only trying to regulate resources rather than actions? The book really only mentioned an example about taxes which leads me to believe that he wasn't trying to regulate people's lives, maybe just their money, which I know people are really defensive about, but if it really was going toward the greater good I don't see why it would be a big deal, but that's just my opinion on it.
I'm also curious to know about how he planned to coerce people into his lifestyle of freedom. Does that count as a discussion question? haha.
Haha yup that is a good question! And what kind of people are going to will actually follow his lifestyle of freedom?
ReplyDeleteThe fact that he had this i idea of a socialist system that pushes what freedoms you have on you. To make you feel free to make your own choices within the systems limits. The time line i'm interested in with america starting around this time do you think the founding fathers where influenced by Rousseau or he was influenced by the explorers who set to become free of english rule. Im intersted to find the connections if there are any.
ReplyDeleteMorgan: I think I might have come across wrong (I talk in circles sometimes :)) We are (according to the Bible) born into sin...meaning we have a nature about us that is naturally inclined to sin. This doesn't we will always sin or are evil, but that Rousseau's notion that society (alone) corrupts us contradicts this point (If you believe in the Christian Religion.
ReplyDeleteQuote from Rousseau: "Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains" from:The Social Contract
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm not quite sure whether Rousseau was correct in his belief that we are all born inherently good, I do think that society has a significant impact in the way we live in society and treat individuals. Contrasts can be seen between hierarchical, industrialized societies and as ours and more egalitarian societies that value compassion and equality. It's just one of those things that we, again, cannot prove or disprove, but it might alter the way we think of ourselves. Who knows, a widespread belief similar to that of Rousseau's may significantly change the way we see humanity, knowing the power that ideas have on our perspective.
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