Against Rousseau : "On the state of nature" and "On the sovereignty of the people"

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. Contents Preface Introduction Critical Bibliography A Note on the Text Abbreviations On the State of Nature 1 Man Is Sociable in His Essence 2 Man Born Evil in a Part of His Essence On the Sovereignty of the People BOOK ONE: ON THE ORIGINS OF SOVEREIGNTY 1 On the Sovereignty of the People 2 The Origin of Society 3 Of Sovereignty in General 4 Of Particular Sovereignties and Nations 5 Examination of Some of Rousseau's Ideas on the Legislator 6 Continuation of the Same Subject 7 Of Founders and the Political Constitution of Nations 8 The Weakness of Human Power 9 Continuation of the Same Subject 10 Of the National Soul 11 Application of the Preceding Principles to a Particular Case 12 Continuation of the Same Subject 13 Necessary Elucidation BOOK TWO: ON THE NATURE OF SOVEREIGNTY 1 On the Nature of Sovereignty in General 2 Of Monarchy 3 Of Aristocracy 4 Of Democracy 5 Of the Best Kind of Sovereignty 6 Continuation of the Same Subject 7 Summary of Rousseau's Judgements on Different Forms of Governments Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A fierce opponent of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Joseph de Maistre was a widely read critic of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Against Rousseau provides the English-speaking reader with a rare first-hand view of the intellectual world of the early counter-revolution.