Against Rousseau
On the State of Nature and On the Sovereignty of the People
Description
On the State of Nature and On the Sovereignty of the People are Maistre's most comprehensive treatment of Rousseau's ideas and his most sustained critique of the ideological foundations of the revolution. On the State of Nature, a detailed critique of Rousseau's Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality, focuses on Rousseau's belief in the natural goodness of man; On the Sovereignty of the People, a critique of Social Contract, explores Rousseau's theory of popular sovereignty. In Maistre's eyes Rousseau encouraged the socially destructive individualism that lay at the heart of the French Revolution. However, the essays reveal some surprising ambiguities in the relationship between two seminal thinkers who are usually thought of as polar opposites, suggesting that Maistre's vision was more akin to Rousseau's than he would have admitted. Against Rousseau offers valuable insights into the evolution of Maistre's counter-revolutionary ideas during the crucial years of 1792-97 and illustrates his remarkable insights into society and politics. It is vital to any consideration of his thought or the counter-revolutionary movement in eighteenth-century France.
Reviews
"The field of eighteenth-century and revolutionary studies has for too long played down the anti-Rousseau, counter-revolutionary arguments; Maistre's writings are a worthwhile antidote. The reader is certain to be vastly entertained by his colourful assaults and impressed by his trenchant common sense." J.F. Bosher, Department of History, York University. "Against Rousseau provides the English-speaking reader with a rare opportunity to view first hand the intellectual world of the early counter-revolution and the best insight into the formation of Maistre's counter-revolutionary thinking. Lebrun's superior translation has been done with care and sensitivity and is a major contribution to the field." David Klinck, Department of History, University of Windsor.