Critique And Construction: A Research On Private And Public Sphere Thought Of Rousseau

Rousseau’s whole system of thought is composed by critique and construction, tensions and reconciliation. Where does Rousseau start when he composed his whole though system? In the introduction chapter this research finds that though there is little straightforward research on Rousseau’s private and public sphere relationship thought, many scholars acknowledged Rousseau’s critique theory and tensions of his construction thought. This research tries to interpret Rousseau’s attitudes facing tensions and his reconciliation on the spectrum of private and public sphere relationship.Rousseau’s construction thought is based upon his judgment of human nature which the second chapter will discuss about. There are only two simple principles or natural laws preceding reason for the savages:amour-de-soi and pity. Human nature is good by nature, because those savages are naturally exempted from evil transgressions. Though almost everything is Rousseau is in debate, scholars made agreement on human nature’s natural goodness of Rousseau. This research however argues that quite many scholars underestimate the complexity of human nature of Rousseau’s theorization. When Rousseau says human nature is naturally good, he merely put it in a quite strict and absolute sense. The vanity of human nature which Rousseau names as amour-propre looms as a phantom in all modes of society. This dissertation names this relative passion of human as human nature’s psychological original sin. Thus it seems like that Rousseau made two judgments about human nature:naturally good and socially amour-propre. Human nature’s spycholigical sin is the start-point of Rousseau’s critique and construction theory. Rousseau’s embarrassing standard of human nature determines the complexity and even tension of his construct thought.The third chapter of this dissertation analyses Rousseau’s extreme public path. Rousseau argues that amour-propre can be redirected solely to the patrie which each individual can only have one singular mode of self-love to express. This dissertation maintains that Rousseau’s constitutional reform plan for Poland resides exactly on this approach. In Poland there is no division between private and public, society and politics. The state manipulates people’s private life through education, social opinions and religion. However Rousseau must be well acknowledged that Poland’s success would be greatly at the cost of human nature’s diversity and moral subjectivity all of which Rousseau values highly so as to influence Kant greatly.Alternatively each individual can lead a life as a recluse, an exemplary life which Rousseau undertook when himself fleeing from European civilization center as a solitary walker at the forest of Montmorency North Paris in1750s or Val-de-Travers around Motiers Switzerland in1760s. On this solitary walker path there is no vanity in human nature because you are all alone there. However you will not feel lonely because of the beauty of nature and the gratitude that you feel from the Almighty God. But when one avoids all sufferings and pains from social life in society, he also spares those blessings and happiness from family members, intimate friends and public virtue, which all make the solitary walker path per se cost highly.(Chapter4)In order to maintain a balance between private and public sphere and to meet the diversity demands of human nature, Rousseau must supply more reasonable solutions which are the Clarens world in his novel Julie and a mixed middle path of a well-ordered society. Because of its geographic isolation character in mountains and its pure simplicity the world of Clarens can keep a balance between restless human natural passions and the intimacy of public sphere. St. Preux, Wolmar, Claire and Julie can live together in the same house. The mixed middle path of a well-ordered society which assimilates all the three above construct paths and avoids their respective dangers seems to be the most harmonious and reasonable solution for Rousseau. In this mixed middle path Rousseau finds private and public sphere can be reconciled by way of the idea of general will and civil religion. Human nature’s psychological original sin is re-directed to intimate friendship, pure love and each individual’s attachment to the fatherland which would be a well-ordered and well-constructed republic.(Chapters5and6)However if there is any danger or drawback of the mixed middle path, it would be its character of perfection. Equilibrium and perfection among parts is especially suspicious because of the latent and remittent tensions each other. Rousseau on the one hand recognizes those tensions among private individual, family member, second corporations and the state. While on the other hand he endeavors to reconcile them in a well-ordered society through institutional projects of general will and civil religion and restrictions of human ferocious passions. This dissertation however argues that his idea of civil religion which can be recognized both from The Social Contract and Emile is rather guiding principles that in no way can to be put into practice. In this sense Rousseau’s task of providing moral and psychological support for modern society is far unfinished.(chapter7)...