Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men book cover

Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men

Jean-Jacques Rousseau · English text · 26,374 words

Rousseau imagines the development from human beings in a state of nature to social institutions, asking how inequality became established and justified.

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Background

The discourse distinguishes natural differences from social inequalities created through property, dependence, and political arrangements.

Reading notes

  • Separate the hypothetical state of nature from historical evidence.
  • Track the role of property in Rousseau’s account.
  • Notice where the argument shifts from explanation to criticism.