{"title":"Jean-Jacques Rousseau","description":"\u003cp\u003eJean-Jacques Rousseau's works explore profound questions in \u003cstrong\u003epolitical philosophy\u003c\/strong\u003e, morality, and human nature, offering foundational texts such as \u003cem\u003eThe Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eDiscourse on Inequality\u003c\/em\u003e. His writings challenge conventional ideas of society and governance, making them essential reading for those interested in the roots of modern political thought and the dynamics of freedom and authority.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBeyond politics, Rousseau's reflective and personal writings, including \u003cem\u003eReveries of the Solitary Walker\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions\u003c\/em\u003e, reveal a deep interrogation of self and society. His influence stretches across \u003cstrong\u003ephilosophy, psychology,\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003earts and culture\u003c\/strong\u003e, inviting readers to engage with themes of authenticity, individuality, and the complexities of human experience.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-social-contract","title":"The Social Contract","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e by Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a seminal work that delves into the fundamental principles of political right and social organization. This thought-provoking book starts with the powerful declaration, \"Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains,\" setting the stage for an exploration of the tension between individual liberty and societal obligations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn an era marked by monarchical absolutism and burgeoning democratic ideals, Rousseau's treatise explores the concept of the social contract, an implicit agreement among individuals to form a collective society governed by common laws and general will. Rousseau posits that true freedom is achieved not through individual independence but through mutual cooperation and subservience to the collective well-being.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRousseau distinguishes between the sovereign—a collective entity composed of all citizens—and the government, which acts as the people's agent. He asserts that legitimate political authority is grounded in the general will of the people, whose collective decision-making process is meant to reflect common interests and promote the public good. Laws, according to Rousseau, are legitimate only if they are derived from this general will, making the ruler an executor of the people's collective aspirations rather than a master.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn doing so, Rousseau navigates the delicate balance between liberty and law, freedom and justice. His vision of a political system in which citizens are both rulers and subjects suggests that freedom, in its truest form, can be found in adherence to laws that individuals prescribe for themselves. This notion of freedom as the recognition of necessity is a central tenet of Rousseau's political philosophy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDespite its advocacy for collective governance, Rousseau's ideas have been controversially interpreted throughout history. From inspiring movements for democratic reform to being cited as a justification for totalitarian regimes, \u003cem\u003eThe Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e remains a multifaceted and deeply influential work. It continues to inspire debate and reflection on the nature of political legitimacy, individual rights, and the structure of civil societies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAn enduring classic, \u003cem\u003eThe Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e is essential reading for anyone interested in political theory and the philosophical underpinnings of modern democracy. Rousseau's insights into the rights, liberty, and equality of all people have withstood the test of time, making this treatise a cornerstone in the Western tradition of political thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45693393535212,"sku":"9780140442014","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780140442014.jpg?v=1725598952"},{"product_id":"the-body-politic-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780241252017","title":"The Body Politic","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Body Politic\u003c\/em\u003e explores the provocative statement: \u003cem\u003eNo true Democracy has ever existed, nor ever will exist.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46240069976300,"sku":"9780241252017","price":9.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780241252017.jpg?v=1741227561"},{"product_id":"the-confessions-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780140440331","title":"The Confessions","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRousseau's autobiography provides a unique insight into the mind and life of one of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWidely regarded as the first modern autobiography, \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions\u003c\/em\u003e is an astonishing work of acute psychological insight. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) argued passionately against the inequality he believed to be intrinsic to civilised society. In his \u003cem\u003eConfessions\u003c\/em\u003e, he relives the first fifty-three years of his radical life with vivid immediacy. From his earliest years, where we can see the source of his belief in the innocence of childhood, through the development of his philosophical and political ideas, his struggle against the French authorities, and his exile from France following the publication of \u003cem\u003eÉmile\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDepicting a life of adventure, persecution, paranoia, and brilliant achievement, \u003cem\u003eThe Confessions\u003c\/em\u003e is a landmark work by one of the greatest thinkers of the Enlightenment. It was a direct influence upon the work of Proust, Goethe, and Tolstoy, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46380083708140,"sku":"9780140440331","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/27291083482237.jpg?v=1744840896"},{"product_id":"a-discourse-on-inequality-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780140444391","title":"A Discourse on Inequality","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this text, Rousseau demonstrates how the growth of civilisation corrupts man's natural happiness and freedom due to the artificial inequalities of wealth and social privilege. Contending that primitive man was equal to civilised man, he believed that as societies become more sophisticated, the strongest and most intelligent members gained an unnatural advantage over the weaker.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHe also argued that constitutions set up to rectify such imbalances through peace and justice do nothing but perpetuate them. The political and social arguments in \u003cem\u003eA Discourse on Inequality\u003c\/em\u003e were a greatly influential denunciation of the social conditions of Rousseau's time, and the work stands as one of the most revolutionary documents of the 18th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46497079558380,"sku":"9780140444391","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780140444391.jpg?v=1748513843"},{"product_id":"reveries-of-the-solitary-walker-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780140443639","title":"Reveries of the Solitary Walker","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRousseau's final work and meditation\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAfter a period of forced exile and solitary wandering brought about by his radical views on religion and politics, Jean-Jacques Rousseau returned to Paris in 1770. Here, in the last two years of his life, he wrote his final work, the \u003cem\u003eReveries\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this eloquent masterpiece, the great political thinker describes his sense of isolation from a society he felt had rejected his writings – and the manner in which he has come to terms with his alienation. As he walks around Paris, gazing at plants, day-dreaming and finding comfort in the virtues of solitude and the natural world, Rousseau's reflections are meditative, amusing, and lyrical.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a fascinating exploration of Rousseau's thought as he looks back over his life, searching to justify his actions, to defend himself against his critics, and to elaborate upon his philosophy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46532643193068,"sku":"9780140443639","price":24.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/27324163482237.jpg?v=1749323781"},{"product_id":"the-reveries-of-the-solitary-walker-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780872201620","title":"The Reveries of the Solitary Walker","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst published posthumously in 1782 from an unfinished manuscript, \u003ci\u003eThe Reveries of the Solitary Walker\u003c\/i\u003e continues Rousseau's exploration of the soul in the form of a final meditation on self-understanding and isolation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis accurate and graceful translation by Charles Butterworth—the only English version based on Rousseau's original text—is accompanied by an interpretive essay, extensive notes, and a comprehensive index.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46846603395308,"sku":"9780872201620","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14512783482498.jpg?v=1758914756"},{"product_id":"rousseau-the-basic-political-writings-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9781603846738","title":"Rousseau: The Basic Political Writings","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis substantially revised new edition of \u003cem\u003eRousseau: The Basic Political Writings\u003c\/em\u003e features a brilliant new introduction by David Wootton. It includes a revision by Donald A. Cress of his own 1987 translation of Rousseau's most important political writings, as well as the addition of Cress' new translation of Rousseau's \u003cem\u003eState of War\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNew footnotes, headnotes, and a chronology by David Wootton provide expert guidance to first-time readers of the texts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46849946026220,"sku":"9781603846738","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/572773482759.jpg?v=1759064885"},{"product_id":"discourse-on-the-origin-of-inequality-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780393441246","title":"Discourse on the Origin of Inequality","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Norton Library edition of Rousseau's \u003cem\u003eDiscourse on the Origin of Inequality\u003c\/em\u003e features an inviting and readable translation by Julia Conaway Bondanella that makes the text accessible to the modern English reader while faithfully preserving the power and clarity of Rousseau's voice and style of argumentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA thorough introduction by Frederick Neuhouser—\"one of the most brilliant philosophical readers of Rousseau that we have\" (\u003cem\u003eChristopher Brooke\u003c\/em\u003e)—provides historical and intellectual context for the \u003cem\u003eDiscourse on the Origin of Inequality\u003c\/em\u003e and its major arguments.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnnotations throughout the text clarify obscure or ambiguous terms and references.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000594284780,"sku":"9780393441246","price":16.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/1493343482328.jpg?v=1763287978"},{"product_id":"of-the-social-contract-and-other-political-writings-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780141191751","title":"Of The Social Contract and Other Political Writings","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSince its first publication in 1762, \u003cem\u003eOf the Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e has shaped political thinking. Viewed by some as a revolutionary statement of democratic freedoms and by others as a precursor of tyranny, it has guided and inspired activists from the.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains.'\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese are the famous opening words of a treatise that has stirred vigorous debate ever since its first publication in 1762. Rejecting the view that anyone has a natural right to wield authority over others, Rousseau argues instead for a pact, or 'social contract', that should exist between all the citizens of a state and that should be the source of sovereign power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom this fundamental premise, he goes on to consider issues of liberty and law, freedom and justice, arriving at a view of society that has seemed to some a blueprint for totalitarianism, to others a declaration of democratic principles.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTranslated by Quintin Hoare\u003cbr\u003e\nWith a new introduction by Christopher Bertram\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000691900652,"sku":"9780141191751","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/6719493482238.jpg?v=1763297761"},{"product_id":"the-social-contract-and-the-first-and-second-discourses-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780300091410","title":"The Social Contract and The First and Second Discourses","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas about society, culture, and government are pivotal in the history of political thought. His works are as controversial as they are relevant today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis volume brings together three of Rousseau's most important political writings: \u003cem\u003eThe Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe First Discourse (Discourse on the Sciences and Arts)\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Second Discourse (Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality)\u003c\/em\u003e. It presents essays by major scholars that shed light on the dimensions and implications of these texts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSusan Dunn's introductory essay underlines the unity of Rousseau's political thought and explains why his ideas influenced Jacobin revolutionaries in France but repelled American revolutionaries across the ocean. Gita May's essay discusses Rousseau as a cultural critic. Robert Bellah explores Rousseau's attempt to resolve the tension between the individual's desire for freedom and the obligations that society imposes. David Bromwich analyses Rousseau as a psychologist of the human self. Conor Cruise O'Brien takes on the \"noxious\", \"deranged\" Rousseau, excoriated by Edmund Burke but admired by Robespierre and Thomas Jefferson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWritten from different, even opposing perspectives, these essays should convey a sense of the vital and contentious debate surrounding Rousseau and his legacy. For this edition, Susan Dunn has provided a new translation of the \u003cem\u003eDiscourse on the Sciences and Arts\u003c\/em\u003e and has revised a previously published translation of \u003cem\u003eThe Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47000817795308,"sku":"9780300091410","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22911843482294.jpg?v=1763307050"},{"product_id":"the-major-political-writings-of-jean-jacques-rousseau-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780226151311","title":"The Major Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndividualist and communitarian. Anarchist and totalitarian. Classicist and romanticist. Progressive and reactionary. Since the eighteenth century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau has been said to be all of these things. Few philosophers have been the subject of as much or as intense debate, yet almost everyone agrees that Rousseau is among the most important and influential thinkers in the history of political philosophy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis new edition of his major political writings, published in the year of the three-hundredth anniversary of his birth, renews attention to the perennial importance of Rousseau’s work. The book brings together superb new translations by renowned Rousseau scholar John T. Scott of three of Rousseau’s works: the \u003ci\u003eDiscourse on the Sciences and Arts\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eDiscourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eOn the Social Contract\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe two \u003ci\u003eDiscourses\u003c\/i\u003e show Rousseau developing his well-known conception of the natural goodness of man and the problems posed by life in society. With the \u003ci\u003eSocial Contract\u003c\/i\u003e, Rousseau became the first major thinker to argue that democracy is the only legitimate form of political organization.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eScott’s extensive introduction enhances our understanding of these foundational writings, providing background information, social and historical context, and guidance for interpreting the works. Throughout, translation and editorial notes clarify ideas and terms that might not be immediately familiar to most readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe three works collected in \u003ci\u003eThe Major Political Writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau\u003c\/i\u003e represent an important contribution to eighteenth-century political theory that has exerted an extensive influence on generations of thinkers, beginning with the leaders of the French Revolution and continuing to the present day. The new translations on offer here will be welcomed by a wide readership of both Rousseau scholars and readers with a general interest in political thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47464447148268,"sku":"9780226151311","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780226151311-the-major-political-writings-of-jean-jacques-rousseau.jpg?v=1775048814"},{"product_id":"on-the-social-contract-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9781624667855","title":"On the Social Contract","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis new edition features a revision by Donald A. Cress of his bestselling 1987 translation of \u003ci\u003eOn the Social Contract\u003c\/i\u003e, together with an introduction, footnotes, and chronology by David Wootton, one of our leading historians of the Enlightenment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47558977814764,"sku":"9781624667855","price":18.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781624667855-on-the-social-contract.jpg?v=1776925069"},{"product_id":"discourse-on-political-economy-and-the-social-contract-by-jean-jacques-rousseau-9780199538966","title":"Discourse on Political Economy and The Social Contract","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDiscourse on Political Economy and The Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e by Jean-Jacques Rousseau offers a profound exploration of human society and governance. Rousseau delves into the intricate dynamics of political thought and the essence of collective agreement through his seminal works.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eDiscourse on Political Economy\u003c\/em\u003e provides insights into the role of government in protecting liberty and exploring economic structures within society. Meanwhile, \u003cem\u003eThe Social Contract\u003c\/em\u003e famously opens with the line, \"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains,\" setting the stage for an examination of individual freedom versus societal obligations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout the Series:\u003c\/strong\u003e For over 100 years, Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features. This includes expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47647913214188,"sku":"9780199538966","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780199538966-discourse-on-political-economy-and-the-social-contract.jpg?v=1779244182"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/jean-jacques-rousseau.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}