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Rousseau's 'Discourse Of Inequality'

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Isha Naik Christianity and Culture #BO Professor Puskaric Final Paper: Inequality Serving a Disservice In the reading on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and the Discourse of Inequality, his stance on inequality rooted from natural inequality, moral-political inequality, and Amour Propre, all of which served together to create a more advanced, modern society, with less happy and satisfied people. The two types of Inequality mentioned in Rousseau’s Discourse are Natural and Moral-Political. Amour Propre was a term that meant jealousy with comparison and competition, and through that stance, inequality forms. Through these forms of inequality, the wealthy are over-powering society, while the lower class are in misery, creating a greater divide, while …show more content…

In the text, “Jean-Jaques Rousseau”, the argument of inequality resides through natural and moral-political inequality as well as “Amour Propre”, which changes man to become power driven when more civilized and accomplished. Rousseau claims, “I conceive of two sorts of inequality in the human Species: one, which I call natural or Physical…the other which may be called Moral or Political inequality” (273). Natural inequality is based on the soul, difference in age, strength, and intellectual abilities, so that we are not all equal. Moral-Political Inequality is discrimination based on social convention, being man-made, and differences in terms of being poorer, richer, and honor. This ties with “Amour propre” because man-made discrimination, jealousy and competition arises, causing more inequality. Moral-Political Inequality is made up of different privileges, such as having a bigger house, or having more power, which created a sense of prejudice among the community. This type of prejudice was one that many tended to enjoy if they were higher up in that hierarchy. It caused there to be a part of the community who felt inferior to the rest due to their lack in materialistic wants and

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