SOC SCI H1F Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Egocentrism
22 Jan 2019
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Upfront about his skepticism that state of nature ever existed. Not arguing for the state of nature but rather arguing that need to imagine that in order to understand what sort of society or government would be most effective. More complex view of state of nature than locke. Multiple phases of the state of nature. Starting with phase of man as a happy savage living without reason. Driven by compassion/pity (especially for members of own species) & self-preservation. Middle position between being primitive & egocentrism. More complex relationships with other members of species. *keeps on coming back to notion of moderation. Nascent society -> rousseau sees as best for mankind. According to rousseau: collaboration inevitably leads to domination. Property is part of what puts together different groupings in society. Division of land (coming from agriculture) generated property. Breaks down due to a chance occurrence. Property coming into existence & the need for labor -> led to slavery & misery.
