Rousseau and the problem of war
By: Christine Jane Carter.
Series: Political theory and political philosophy
Publisher: Garland Pub.
Published: 1987
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 221
Subjects: Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 1712-1778.; War (Philosophy) -- History -- 18th century.
First sentence: In one of his last works, Rousseau maintained that the coherence of his thought would not be appreciated by the careless or inattentive reader, but that he did nonetheless have a 'systeme' which was both rationally explicable and morally justifiable.
Description: Carter's study is a systematic interpretation of Rousseau's ideas on war and peace. Its originality lies in the broad scope of its analysis, setting Rousseau's fragmentary writings on international politics within the context of his major works of political and moral theory, and against the background of of those writers on whose ideas he drew most heavily. The study demonstrates that Rousseau made a profound analysis of the causes of war, which he saw as rooted in the inequality and competition attendant upon the development of social relations. Carter examines Rousseau's critique of Saint-Pierre's 'Projet de paix perpetuelle', showing the extent to which Rousseau rejects Enlightenment optimism, and concludes that despite the moralism of Rousseau's thinking, a sober realism informs his approach to international politics, so that he can perceive no easy solution to the problem of war.
Notes: Bibliography: p. 214-221.
Originally presented as the author's thesis--(Ph. D.), 1985.
Table of contents: label: 1
title: 'Les Meditations d'un Solitaire': Rousseau's System
pagenum: 10; label: 2
title: From state of nature to state of war
pagenum: 45; label: 3
title: Tyranny and war: 'the worst scourges of humanity'
pagenum: 77; label: 4
title: A new state of nature
pagenum: 94; label: 5
title: Rousseau and the Abbe de Saint Pierre
pagenum: 120; label: 6
title: The Republic
pagenum: 158; label: 7
title: Mankind condemned to politics
pagenum: 190