Political Philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau: The Impossibility of Reason

This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. This exciting new text presents the first overview of Jean Jacques Rousseau's work from a political science perspective. Was Rousseau--the great theorist of the French Revolution--really a conservative? This original study argues that the he was a constitutionalist much closer to Madison, Montesquieu, and Locke than to revolutionaries. Outlining his profound opposition to Godless materialism and revolutionary change, this book finds parallels between Rousseau and Burke, as well as showing how Rousseau developed the first modern theory of nationalism. The book presents an integrated political analysis of Rousseau's educational, ethical, religious and political writings, and will be essential reading for students of politics, philosophy and the history of ideas

Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction and method; 1 The politics of the soul: the life and times of Jean-Jacques Rousseau; 2 The disenchantment of the world; 3 Checks, balances and popular participation: Rousseau as a constitutionalist; 4 A civic profession of faith: Rousseau's and nationalism; 5 The last of the ancients the first of the moderns?; 6 Epilogue: in the beginning was song; Chronology of Rousseau's life (1712-78); Bibliography; Index.

This exciting new book presents the first overview of Jean Jacques Rousseau's work from a political science perspective. Was Rousseau - the great theorist of the French Revolution - really a conservative? This original study argues that the author of The Social Contract was a constitutionalist much closer to Madison, Montesquieu and Locke than to revolutionaries. Outlining his profound opposition to Godless materialism and revolutionary change, this book finds parallels between Rousseau and Burke, as well as showing that Rousseau developed the first modern theory of nationalism. The book presents an integrated political analysis of Rousseau's educational, ethical, religious and political writings, and will be essential reading for students of politics, philosophy and the history of ideas.