Discourse on the Origin of Inequality

Beskrivning

In his Discourses (1755), Rousseau argues that inequalities of rank, wealth, and power are the inevitable result of the civilizing process. If inequality is intolerable – and Rousseau shows with unparalleled eloquence how it robs us not only of our material but also of our psychological independence – then how can we recover the peaceful self-sufficiency of life in the state of nature? We cannot return to a simpler time, but measuring the costs of progress
may help us to imagine alternatives