Discourse on the Origin of Inequality Rousseau writes in answer to a question proposed to him, namely, what is the origin of inequality? Almost all of the philosophers writing before him tended to assert that certain things were inherent in man’s original nature, and that this lead to the origin of government and law. Rousseau, however, takes a different approach. He argues that modern man is way to far away from the original state of nature to be able to understand it, and that ‘by dint of studying man we have rendered ourselves incapable of knowing him.’ (853) As for inequality, most people would argue that ‘men [are] b....

Number Of Words: 2288

Number Of Pages: 9

Join today and get unlimited access to our vast database of student-written essays and term papers. This paper along with over 45,000 other papers are available in our member's area right now. Full instant access is just seconds away! Membership Options Price 1 month  subscription $18.95 recurring        3 months subscription $34.95 recurring        6 months subscription $59.95 non-recurring