The social contract & discoursesRousseau, Jean-Jacques
Philosophy
The social contract & discourses
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques
Economics; Political science -- Early works to 1800; Social contract
In proportion as the human race grew more numerous, men's cares
increased. The difference of soils, climates and seasons, must have
introduced some differences into their manner of living. Barren years,
long and sharp winters, scorching summers which parched the fruits of
the earth, must have demanded a new industry. On the sea-shore and the
banks of rivers, they invented the hook and line, and became fishermen
and eaters of fish. In the forests they made bows and arrows, and
became huntsmen and warriors. In cold countries they clothed themselves
with the skins of the beasts they had slain. The lightning, a volcano,
or some lucky chance acquainted them with fire, a new resource against
the rigours of winter: they next learned how to preserve this element,
then how to reproduce it, and finally how to prepare with it the flesh
of animals which before they had eaten raw.
This repeated relevance of various beings to himself, and one to
another, would naturally give rise in the human mind to the perceptions
of certain relations between them. Thus the relations which we denote
by the terms, great, small, strong, weak, swift, slow, fearful, bold,
and the like, almost insensibly compared at need, must have at length
produced in him a kind of reflection, or rather a mechanical prudence,
which would indicate to him the precautions most necessary to his
security.
The new intelligence which resulted from this development increased his
superiority over other animals, by making him sensible of it. He would
now endeavour, therefore, to ensnare them, would play them a thousand
tricks, and though many of them might surpass him in swiftness or in
strength, would in time become the master of some and the scourge of
others. Thus, the first time he looked into himself, he felt the first
emotion of pride; and, at a time when he scarce knew how to distinguish
the different orders of beings, by looking upon his species as of the
highest order, he prepared the way for assuming pre-eminence as an
individual.
Other men, it is true, were not then to him what they now are to us,
and he had no greater intercourse with them than with other animals;
yet they were not neglected in his observations. The conformities,
which he would in time discover between them, and between himself and
his female, led him to judge of others which were not then perceptible;
and finding that they all behaved as he himself would have done in like
circumstances, he naturally inferred that their manner of thinking
and acting was altogether in conformity with his own. This important
truth, once deeply impressed on his mind, must have induced him, from
an intuitive feeling more certain and much more rapid than any kind of
reasoning, to pursue the rules of conduct, which he had best observe
towards them, for his own security and advantage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account