Hypocrisy And Sexism In Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Assumptions
A French philosopher who is well known for his beliefs about human civilization and the “social contract” that holds together the citizens of the public, Jean-Jacques Rousseau is considered one of the key Enlightenment philosophers and contributors to modern Western culture. Rousseau’s beliefs and ideas impacted the French Revolution and assisted the expansion of socialist theories, but his critics consider Rousseau’s beliefs and ideas as hypocritical and sexist. Most people would consider someone who is brave, intelligent and hardworking as an ideal leader, while some people may prefer a strict and tough leader. Rousseau has been idolized into this epitome of children's education. Rousseau has been put on a pedestal in our society and using Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Sexist? by Paul Thomas, Rousseau and the Politics of Ambiguity by Mira Morgenstern, and Emile and The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, I will show that his private actions do not align with the principles outlined in his work. Rousseau's ideal state would be a democraticone that listens to its citizens and lets its people be free to an extent. Rousseau’s ideal citizen would give up their self-interests for the greater good of the public and express their power through their general will, the true best interest of the people. Rousseau believed that the ideal citizen should never have their power threatened by anyone or anything outside of their collective.
Rousseau felt that an ideal citizen would stay loyal to their society and sovereign at all times. Rousseau also believed that an ideal citizen shouldn’t let government dominate you. Rousseau states in The Social Contract, that nature was a place where humans could live innocently and freely from society. Rousseau believed in self-governance and letting human beings have absolute control of themselves. Rousseau's famous phrase, “man is born free, but he is everywhere in chains, “summarizes how Rousseau feels about modern day society. He feels modern society takes away one’s birthright: freedom. Rousseau says that the master thinks he is the master of others, but he is actually the one enslaved. This enslavement of the master by society and the social contract. Rousseau felt that a government’s number one goal should be the freedom of all citizens. Rousseau felt that authority should lie with the people. Rousseau hated political and economic oppression and supported revolution. Rousseau believed in direct democracy and not elected representatives. Direct democracy expresses the general will better — who greater than oneself to represent their ideas? Rousseau feels voting provokes thinking and develops ideas based on experience and not through someone else's goals. In The Social Contract, Rousseau states: “When a law is proposed to the assembled people, what they are being asked is not Do you approve or reject this proposal? But rather Is this proposal in conformity with the general will?- the general will being their will. Each man’s vote gives his opinion on that point, i. e. his answer to question; and the general will is found by counting votes. ” Rousseau’s democracy involves the people as the sovereign and they decide as a collective on what gets passed into law. The state for an ideal democratic sovereignty in Rousseau’s world was preferably a small state, where citizens can form bonds quicker. Rousseau liked plain and easy things, because complex things brought big problems. Rousseau also favored physical and hierarchical equality between citizens. Rousseau did not like special interests happening, because it would infringe on the way citizens individually thought. In Emile, Rousseau discusses parenting, education and training. Rousseau believes a kid is a kid, not a miniature adult.
Rousseau believes they should learn from nature and shouldn’t be coerced into things. Rousseau feels that we learn through teachers as they are our “eyes and hands. ”Rousseau feels physical activity is vital, while punishment shouldn’t be given until they’ll learn naturally right and wrong. Rousseau also believes that kids should be independent. In Emile, Rousseau writes: Countries in which children are swaddled swarm with hunchbacks,with cripples,with persons crook kneed, stunted, rickety,deformed in all kinds of ways. For fear that the bodies of children may be defirmed by free movements, we hasten to deform them by putting them into a press. Of our own accord we cripple them to prevent their lasting laming themselves. Must not such a cruel constraint have an influence upon their temper as well as upon their constitution? Their first feeling is a feeling of constraint and of suffering. Rousseau feels that kids should be raised close to nature and have their own way of reasoning. Rousseau dislikes the fact that once a baby is born we automatically hinder its natural growth and comfortability by swaddling it. Rousseau feels the infancy stage (newborn to 2 years old) should be the training of feelings and patterns. Rousseau believes that there is a difference between civil and natural liberties. Natural is the desire to do as one pleases, while civil is the desire to do for the general will. In modern times, citizens do not have much physical freedom as they are tied to their government whereas in Rousseau’s preferred prehistoric state of nature we’re only tied to instinct. Suggesting nature, Rousseau wants to hold firm natural liberty and lead people to be free. In this case, natural liberty overrides structure and, because people are not enslaved to their instincts. Rousseau’s ideas on power and authority are that the citizens are the sovereign, and they are where the ultimate authority lies. In Rousseau’s era a monarchy was in charge, but The Social Contract gives this a new definition. In a strong state, being together as a collective is an effective sovereign. As said before, Rousseau doesn’t believe that the collective can be broken up and only the collective can speak for the general will. The government represents the citizens, not speak for them it is not a sovereign. Sometimes there are conflicts within the government, which affects the citizens and when government and sovereignty have tension that could lead to an unfortunate fall of everything. Rousseau feels that women and men have different biological futures, therefore they should be treated differently. In Emile, Rousseau writes: Give a man a trade which suits his sex and a young man a trade which suits his age. Every sedentary and indoor profession which effeminates and softens the body neither pleases nor suits him. Never did a young boy by himself aspire to be a tailor. Art is required to bring to this woman’s trade the sex for which it is not made (There were no tailors among the ancients. Men’s costumes were made at home by women). The needle and the sword cannot be wielded by the same hands. If I were sovereign, I would permit sewing and the needle trades only to women and to cripples reduced to occupations like theirs. Rousseau feels that women need men more rather than vice versa. From the two above quotes, Rousseau feels that men can treat women however they please. Rousseau roots for society to go back to its natural place, but going back to where we once were means we would have to lean on our sex rather than logic and logic is a part of what makes humans humans.
Rousseau draws a clear line between men and women. Rousseau’s ideas on family and hierarchy was based off of sexual difference, which denies women public positions. The general will was not really elaborated on as the will of the mass. Rousseau has these principles, but he often contradicts them. Rousseau may not see the contradiction, because he doesn’t include women as part of the general will. He didn’t think they should vote. Rousseau portrays men as strong, while women are portrayed as weak and as just there to please man. Rousseau’s perspective on gender is too complicated to put into a box. Mira Morgenstern writes: This is because,in Rousseau’s view, women are the linchpin of the family,influencing both its nature and mode of operation. Therefore Rousseau considers the role of women crucial to the fate of the transformational revolution that would promote the development of private and political authenticity. Morgenstern offers insight to show that maybe Rousseau is not a misogynist after all. Morgenstern states that Rousseau feels that women are vital in how the family operates and carries things out. Rousseau also feels that women are the catalyst in the evolution of individual and political genius. Acknowledging that Rousseau was a man of his era, Morgenstern helps Rousseau convey his message that women were key to changing many ideas and political genius. Looking through a close lens, Rousseau’s assumptions are contradictory and I disagree with Rousseau on his perspective with an ideal leader. Rousseau has a lot of viewpoints and ideas on a lot of topics that were just covered, but he also has a lot of assumptions he makes and things he ignores. Rousseau assumes people can govern themselves, but not everyone knows right from wrong and can take care of themselves. Rousseau assumes that religion is an ideal of authentic order and supposed good that comes from God, but not everyone will believe in a higher power and it puts a stop to human action, which is the foundation for democracy. Rousseau believed in direct democracy, but everyone has the knowledge to make political choices without a representative. Rousseau values the general will, but what is the “greater good” or the “right thing” and not everyone agrees on one set definition or situation. Rousseau sees freedom and liberty not to do whatever you want, but the opportunity to do the right thing, but not everybody sees freedom and liberty as a chance to do the right thing. Some see it as a time to prey on the vulnerable. Rousseau feels society corrupts humans along with institutions and that training equals education, but Rousseau’s training he expresses in Emile would also be considered corruption, because that training would be considered an institution and he’s apart of society. Not everyone is going to agree that what your teaching them is essential or right either. “Make citizens good by training and everyone else will follow” is Rousseau valuing training, but what people with all types of disabilities? Who is considered to need to make the training? Why do they get to do it? Some of Rousseau’s philosophical ideas are vague and rely on assumptions.
Relying on public agreement is sometimes unrealistic or impossible. Marie-Thérèse Levasseur was Rousseau’s partner who birthed his five children, all of which he ended up giving to an orphanage. Rousseau’s mother died during childbirth and you would think that someone who had a single parent wouldn’t want his kids to repeat a similar childhood for his children, yet he gave his children to the orphanage. Many of his ideas have holes in them. For example, his education theory: he says children can only learn certain things at a certain age or that it’s possible to know a child well enough to be able to control it. Humans are not controllable nor predictable enough for a teacher to control a kid - for example, how Emile was guided by his teacher. Even Rousseau admitted that a teacher like that would have to be a superhero. I disagree with Rousseau because Rousseau fails to follow his own principles, so why should we put our faith in them? Rousseau is hypocritical when it comes to children and gender. While Rousseau has good intentions, his ideas lack specificity, clarity, inclusivity and enactment in his own life. If society is going to put him on a pedestal by including him in the school curriculum and giving him titles including “Pioneer in the Field of Education” then we should also be taught the full range of his ideas and life story and not the fraction we are only privy to. In conclusion, even though some of Rousseau’s viewpoints on education and authority to gender roles and self-governance may be controversial they are met with a lot of assumptions, which he ignores. Rousseau does not necessarily have an ideal leader, but more so an ideal citizen.
Rousseau feels that the ideal leader would be the citizens as they have sovereignty. I disagree with Rousseau. He feels women should be submissive to men and abandoned all five of his kids. I agree with Rousseau that rule should be based on the good of the people, but disagreed that women should be educated to be submissive to men and that their purpose is to have and raise children. Rousseau has been put on a pedestal in education and I do not know why considering his background. The reader can find contradictions in his ideology like when he abandons his five children, but goes on about how to educate one.
