Rousseau on Freedom in Commercial Society

Rousselière, Geneviève

doi:10.1111/ajps.12222

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…To stop being “outside of themselves”, individuals have to learn to be their own master, that is, become autonomous. This is the goal of Emile's education, a complex epistemic and moral journey that would redirect one's capacity to judge (Rousselière, 2016; Schaeffer, 2014; Scott, 2014). In order to do that, the young boy has to learn to determine what are his real needs so as not to confuse desires and needs.…”

Section: Assessing the “Real” Worth Of Menmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rousseau's theory of value and the case of women

Rousselière

2021

European J of Philosophy

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In Emile, Rousseau claims that the value of women ought to be determined by the opinion that men have of them. Women, contrary to commodities and men, escape what I call Rousseau's “dual theory of value.” According to the latter, the apparent value of commodities and men is determined by opinion and either unrelated or inverse to “real value,” which is assessed through objective criteria. The dual theory of value is the basis of Rousseau's critique of commercial society. However, women warrant an exception to this theory. As women's apparent worth is their real worth, women are the unique object in the world that ought to be subjected to the rule of opinion, which is the rule of commercial market that Rousseau so violently rejects. This article investigates why this is the case and locates three functions to the unique position of women in Rousseau's theory of value.

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Section: Assessing the “Real” Worth Of Menmentioning

confidence: 99%