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  • Essay / Rousseau's view on nobility and corruption in civilization

    What kind of nobility does Rousseau attribute to the "savage", and what variety of ways does he think of for this be corrupted by civilization? Jean-Jacques Rousseau in “The Social Contract and Discourses” examines the inequality created between men in society (civilization). Rousseau attempts to demonstrate the fundamental attributes of human beings in the “state of nature” and how inequality arises and corrupts the “state of nature”. " through the process of civilization. What he calls moral inequality is considered unnatural and only occurs in societies where man has become more "civilized." The "savage", on the other hand, is described as a animal acting as nature dictates, "being devoid of any kind of illumination...its desires never go beyond. As a result, new needs are created and man begins to escape from the "state of. nature” towards something quite different (civilization) Rousseau writes that as individuals have more contact with each other, small unions begin to form, this necessitates the need to develop means of communication. through language, language then contributing to the development of reason. Rousseau uses the argument that civilization causes diseases that would not exist in the “state of nature”. Humans develop negative motivational principles for their actions. Rousseau calls this “the impetuosity of self-love” which leads an individual to value himself more than another, in other words compassion pushes men to seek domination over their fellow men to increase their own happiness. Furthermore, Rousseau asserts that civilization creates an unnecessary need for medicine. “Being therefore subject to so few causes of