rousseau letter to d'alembert summary

Whereas it was the Calvinists who opposed the theatre in Geneva, it was the Jansenists who were vociferous critics of the theatre in France, both before and during Montesquieu's time; Montesquieu is almost certainly referring to their opposition here. The place seems to breed affection.Footnote20, Nevertheless, Montesquieu's description of these theatrical relations of the French in the Persian Letters, while in part satirical, bears an important resemblance to his description and praise of a people who possess a sociable humour in Book 19 of The Spirit of the Laws. For the Letter, the French, when cited, is given in parentheses, taken from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, crits sur la musique, la langue, et le thtre, in uvres compltes, edited by Bernard Gagnebin and others, 5 vols (Paris, 19591995), V. 3 D'Alembert, Geneva, in Letter, 246. It develops the Romanticism that had already informed his writings on music and perhaps did more than any other single work of literature to influence the spirit of its age. Montesquieu broaches the possibility that drama itself can teach morality in The Spirit of the Laws in Book 25, one of two devoted to the subject of religion. Rather, he offers reasons to esteem a society in which individuals become spectacles for each other. Thus, theatre serves to extenuate moral lapses. References to the French, when cited, for this and the Persian Letters appear in parentheses and are drawn from Charles-Louis Secondat de Montesquieu, uvres compltes de Montesquieu, edited by Roger Callois, 2 vols (Paris, 19491951). for a group? Rousseau worked as a servant, music teacher and engraver. In October of 1758,Rousseau published theLetter to dAlembertto refuteJean dAlemberts suggestion that Geneva establish a public theater. You'll also receive an email with the link. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. However, Rousseau was later to write in his autobiography, Confessions, that "in all of Europe [Discourse on Inequality] found only a few readers who understood it, and of these none who wished to talk of it." Rousseau died suddenly on July 2, 1778. The volume also contains Rousseau's own writings for the theater, including plays and libretti for operas, most of which have never been translated into English. Online: Amazon (Recommended translation) Google Books (Free preview available). It was in England that Rousseau found refuge after he had been banished from the canton of Bern. He himself asserted in the Confessions that he was led to write the book by a desire for loving, which I had never been able to satisfy and by which I felt myself devoured. Saint-Preuxs experience of love forbidden by the laws of class reflects Rousseaus own experience; and yet it cannot be said that The New Eloise is an attack on those laws, which seem, on the contrary, to be given the status almost of laws of nature. The particular play that Montesquieu selects for praise in this regard is Racine's Phaedra, which enacts many of Montesquieu's teachings and elicits the very sentiments he finds valuable. Muralt uses the word timide only twice in his description of England, neither of which occurs in a comparable context; see Muralt, Lettres, 107, 130. Montesquieu's particular treatment of English women differs from Muralt's in several ways. Que les Anglois se vantent, aprs cela, d'avoir les meilleures Femmes du monde; Muralt, Lettres, 12829. 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG. If he'll but speak, I now will hear.Footnote38 Thus, Racine dramatically reinforces Montesquieu's teaching regarding criminal proceedings by staging the pain inflicted on particular individuals by flawed procedures. 83 Spirit, 19.5, 310 (2: 559). [4], Rousseau portrays Geneva in a very romantic and positive light, where people are productive, happy and hard at work, but he also recognizes the extreme wealth and poverty in the city. Rousseau was the least academic of modern philosophers and in many ways was the most influential. Ace your assignments with our guide to Discourse on Inequality! In the Letter, Rousseau rejected the traditional notion of male politicians being responsible for moral reform, and thought it was women's responsibility. In October of 1758, Rousseau published the Letter to d'Alembert to refute Jean d'Alembert's suggestion that Geneva establish a public theater. Some of its key concerns were the operation of reason, the idea of human progress and development, and a hostility to received opinion (dogma) and religious authority. Overall, the population of Geneva agreed with the Letter. Rousseau worked as a clerk to a notary, and then was apprenticed to an engraver. He reasons that even if comedy writers write a play that is morally acceptable, the audience will not find it funny. Charting Rousseau's influence is hard, simply because it was so vast. Described by the author as a treatise on education, it is not about schooling but about the upbringing of a rich mans son by a tutor who is given unlimited authority over him. 66 For example: The English people think it is free. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In the remaining 10 years of his life Rousseau produced primarily autobiographical writings, mostly intended to justify himself against the accusations of his adversaries. For example, he condemns a law of the Visigoths that permitted the children of an adulterous wife to accuse her of that crime and to torture the family's slaves in order to extract evidence: This was an iniquitous law that, in order to preserve the mores, overturned nature, in which the mores have their origin.Footnote40 At this point, Montesquieu turns to Racine's play and presents it as an appealing contrast to such civil laws that are contrary to natural law.Footnote41 Indeed, Montesquieu concludes his discussion of Phaedra with a reflection on the relation of pleasure and nature: The accents of nature cause this pleasure; it is the sweetest of all voices.Footnote42 Racine's tragedy displays for its audience Hippolytus's admirable decisions rooted in his unconditional respect for his kin, even in light of his father's failure to distinguish between guilt and innocence. Jean le Rond d'Alembert's article on Geneva ignited much controversy when it was published in 1757 in the seventh volume of l'Encyclopdie.Footnote1 The article, which names Geneva as one of the most flourishing cities of Europe, served as a vehicle by which d'Alembert endeavoured to promote not only a tolerant and enlightened Christianity, but also the establishment of a theatre in the otherwise stern Calvinist city.Footnote2 D'Alembert enlists by name the authority of both Voltaire and Montesquieu to aid him in his treatment of the small, Protestant republic. Montesquieu's description of a gentle and joyful societal existence could very well foster admiration beyond the borders of France, and thus spread the very mores from which Rousseau endeavours to protect Geneva. In other words, people have to share the concerns with legislators if a state is to be successful. By focusing on his belief in the natural order and harmony of traditional sex roles and community, Rousseau writes to convince D'Alembert, and the public of Geneva, that a theatre is a threat to an ideal, natural way of life. 43 Montesquieu, of course, acknowledges that a variety of factors can affect how any given people responds to a theatrical work; see, for example, Spirit, 14.2, 233. Various symptoms of paranoia began to manifest themselves in Rousseau, and he returned to France incognito. [1] Rousseau relates the issue of a theatre in Geneva to the broader social context, warning of the potential the theatre has to corrupt the morality in society. In fact, Muralt relates that he observed that Englishmen sometimes had the audacity to bring their mistresses to the dinner table, and this caused so little trouble that it led Muralt to declare: Je crois que s'il leur en prenoit envie, ils les feroient coucher dans un mme lit, & je ne sai s'il n'y en a pas eu qui s'en soient avisez. After he had been expelled from France, he was chased from canton to canton in Switzerland. He continues that a European spirit of gallantry that one can say was little known to the ancients grew out of this desire to please women. They appreciate the routines of country life and enjoy the beauties of the Swiss and Savoyard Alps. He propelled political and ethical thinking into new channels. For example, he writes: les Hommes donnent trop dans la Bagatelle & ne sont pas asss Hommes, les femmes ont trop de Hardiesse & ne sont pas asss Femmes. Contents nen Preface vii Chronology of Works in Volume 10 ix Note on the Text xiii Introduction xv Operas, Plays, and Ballets 1 Iphis 3 Translated and Edited by Christopher Kelly [4], He goes on to criticize women's social activity in public and private venues in Paris and Geneva, suggesting women produce the only gossip, and the moral decay of men, women and children. Montesquieu devotes the entirety of Part 4 of Spirit to commerce and population. Letter to D'Alembert on the Theatre (1758) (Lettre a M. d'Alembert sur les Spectacles) is an essay written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in opposition to an article published in the Encyclopdie by Jean d'Alembert, that proposed the establishment of a theatre in Geneva. 1 . Because Montesquieu understands women as the judges and bestowers of a man's honour, when women are placed in the public sphere, men adopt mannerisms and behaviour to win their approval.Footnote63 Thus, women enhance the theatricality of public life, putting men (and themselves) on display for each other. 0:00. Many scholars have identified the decisive influence of Montesquieu's treatment of the ancient city in Rousseau's thought more generally, but have not yet fully explored the role that Montesquieu's treatment of the theatre plays in Rousseau's Letter. 9 Letter, 27174, 35960. Having already noted that the French nation is distinguished by its commerce with women, Montesquieu declares that in England the women should scarcely live among men and that, as a result, the English women would be modest, that is, timid [timides].Footnote60 Montesquieu proceeds to condemn the effect that this isolation of women has on English society because men there lack gallantry [galanterie] and throw themselves into a debauchery that would leave them their liberty as well as their leisure.Footnote61 The implication is that because English gentlemen do not seek to win the good regard and affection of their female counterparts in a manner that renders society polite, pleasing, and sometimes indiscreet, but instead spend the majority of their time with other men, and then also frequently visit with prostitutes.Footnote62 The interaction of the sexes in France fosters indiscretions, Montesquieu concedes, but he charges that in England their separation leads to debauchery. Montesquieu makes the Parisian theatre a setting in his Persian Letters when his character Rica, a young Persian, describes his outing to this hub of French sociability. Similarly, Susan Okin notes that Rousseau held to his ''reactionary'' ideas Rousseau's later quarrel with Voltaire was legendary for its violence . Rousseau's dismay arose largely from d'Alembert's proposal that theatre be established in Geneva as it would form the taste of the citizens and would give them a fineness of tact, [and] a delicacy of sentiments, thus benefiting the already admirable city.Footnote7 In his Lettre d'Alembert sur les spectacles, Rousseau condemns this as the most dangerous advice that could be given us.Footnote8 Invoking his status as a citizen of that city, he argues that the theatre would only serve to corrupt the virtuous mores and manners of Geneva's citizens. For example, Rousseau elaborates on the moral results of Muralt's claim that theatre perverts the relationship of things. In addition, Montesquieu's treatment of the theatre seems to have been a fitting topic for Rousseau's engagement. Montesquieu's captivating depictions of the sociability that the French theatre can engender was surely an obstacle for Rousseau's opposition to its influence in Geneva. 4. Although Rousseau in his Letter refers neither to Montesquieu nor to his works by name, he was certainly well versed in his predecessor's teachings. It may be considered to portray Rousseau's vanity, narcissism and biases, but the text could also be thought of more positively; as expressive, lyrical and austere. For an overview of the state of the scholarship on the relation of the two thinkers, see Gabrielle Radica, Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, in Dictionnaire lectronique Montesquieu, September 2013 edition, http://dictionnaire-montesquieu.ens-lyon.fr/index.php?id=436 [accessed 12 June 2014]. This is not exactly the standard Enlightenment vision. Montesquieu takes a particular interest in such judicial proceedings throughout The Spirit of the Laws, declaring that the knowledge already acquired in some countries and yet to be acquired in others, concerning the surest rules one can observe in criminal judgments, is of more concern to mankind than anything else in the world.Footnote32 Criminal judgements can bring down the full power of the state against individuals, depriving them of their property, liberty, homeland, or very lives.Footnote33 Given this import, Montesquieu advises gentleness in punishing, declaring that people must not be led to extremes; one should manage the means that nature gives us to guide them and explaining that nature [] has given men shame for their scourge. Arguably its greatest influence was as one of the first attempts to write a rigorous philosophical history of mankind. The main action is on a platform [estrade], called the stage [thtre]. Discourse on Inequality was completed in May 1754, and published in 1755. Whereas Montesquieu sees the theatre as a salutary way of teaching morality and sympathy, Rousseau condemns it as a corrupting influence. Thus, an examination of Rousseau's discussion of theatre together with its relation to women and morality reveals that he is employing distinctly Montesquieuian terms and themes in order to engage and challenge his predecessor. When d'Alembert approached Montesquieu to contribute to the Encyclopdie, he volunteered to submit in lieu of d'Alembert's requested pieces on democracy and despotism a single entry devoted to Taste, and his corpus testifies to his sustained interest in art and aesthetics.Footnote15 Montesquieu focuses his attention on theatre in particular a handful of times in The Spirit of the Laws and once in the Persian Letters. The relation between art and society is . While Montesquieu's treatment of the theatre has been largely neglected by the scholarship, it appears not to have been neglected by Rousseau. In the play, the main character, Alceste, is good and honest in his relationships with men and made to look ridiculous, whereas Philinte, a deceiver and manipulator, is shown as superior. Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Dont have an account? [4], Towards the middle of this final section Rousseau reasons that the theatre does very little good for the poor, who cannot afford the taxes required to support a theatre. This is a civil law, Montesquieu proclaims pointedly, that punishes natural defense.Footnote39 After asserting that natural defense demands that the accused be confronted by witnesses in a criminal proceeding, the chapters go on to provide examples of how civil laws can interfere with familial relations. He concludes that as a result of his new reflections, he embraces a conclusion directly opposed to the one I drew from the first, namely, that when the people is corrupted, the theater is good for it, and bad for it when it is itself good.Footnote81 Rousseau reaches this conclusion immediately after he transmits, without naming his source, Montesquieu's description of French society: Rousseau allows the point that in certain places [the theatre] will be useful for attracting foreigners [utiles pour attirer les trangers],Footnote82 just as Montesquieu argues that the politeness of a society attracts foreigners to it [une politesse qui attire chez elle les trangers].Footnote83 Moreover, whereas Montesquieu declares that the society of women spoils mores and forms taste [la socit des femmes gte les murs, et forme le got],Footnote84 Rousseau admits that the theatre, where women are made the preceptors of the public,Footnote85 is useful for maintaining and perfecting taste [pour maintenir et perfectionner le got] when decency is lost.Footnote86 Rousseau yet again deploys Montesquieu's ideas when he says that a theatre can be useful for increasing the circulation of money [pour augmenter la circulation des espces], just as Montesquieu says that the prominent place of women and their tastes in society constantly increases the branches of commerce [on augmente sans cesse les branches de son commerce].Footnote87 Rousseau borrows and transmits all of these points of Montesquieu. He accepted the Scottish philosopher Hume's offer to take refuge in Britain, only to quarrel with Hume as well and soon return to France. Rousseau's relationship to the Enlightenment was not a simple one. Rousseau is often characterized as the father of Romanticism, as he opposed modernity and the Enlightenment and glorified the heroic ethos of Ancient Rome and Greece. Despite laws and historical examples that attempt to overcome or deny those natural feelings, theatre offers the assurance that they continue to exist or can be recalled. In 1758, Jean Le Rond d'Alembert proposed the public establishment of a theatre in Geneva - and Jean-Jacques Rousseau vigorously objected. [3], Rousseau generally opposed the Enlightenment thrust that was occurring during his lifetime. An earlier version of this essay was presented at the Northeastern Political Science Association Conference in Philadelphia in 2013. [4], If a theatre is established it will change the maxims and prejudices of Geneva, for better or worse, and the best way to deal with this is simply prevention, Rousseau argues. We are also grateful to Robert Devigne, Dennis Rasmussen, and the anonymous reviewers of History of European Ideas for their helpful comments on earlier drafts. 1 Ronald Grimsley, Jean d'Alembert (London, 1963), 5277. While he concedes that the exchanges and interactions which occur when men and women congregate in the theatre are often artificial and result in theatrical behaviour far from the stage, he refuses to criticise such a form of sociability. 70 Letter, 325 (5: 92). While Montesquieu lavishes distinct praise on a society that permits the formation of taste and promotes the gentleness that comes from commerce, understood both as economic and social exchange, Rousseau resists such influences. 2023 The Foundation for Constitutional Government Inc. All rights reserved. His Government of Poland and Constitutional Project for Corsica offer practical proposals for political reform in his time. Ultimately, Rousseau seeks this engagement with Montesquieu's images, claims, and teachings as a result of his political goal of preserving the mores and customs of Geneva. The accents of nature [les accents de la nature] cause this pleasure; it is the sweetest of all voices.Footnote31, Montesquieu's praise of Racine's Hippolytus, whom he describes as being accused, judged, condemned, banished, and covered with infamy, underscores the fact that to his mind this blameless young man is the victim of a judicial procedure that failed to disclose his true innocence. 86 Letter, 298 (5: 59). His First Discourse, on the Arts and Sciences, won first prize in a competition run by the Dijon Academy, and he had an opera and a play performed to great acclaim. These seemingly fleeting references to this art form should not be overlooked as they clarify and expound upon fundamental aspects of his political theory. But sometimes human beings forget themselves and their natural feelings. He considered women, by virtue of their nature, to be the primary agents of moral reform, and that the success of the state depends on the harmony within private, domestic life. With Racine's Phaedra in mind, Rousseau denies that the theatre can teach morality: What do we learn from Phdre and pide other than that man is not free and that Heaven punishes him for crimes that it makes him commit? Il ne veut pas ressembler aux . Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Please wait while we process your payment. In 1758 his Letter to M. d'Alembert on the Theatre was published. First, Montesquieu describes them as timide, a term which Rousseau adopts. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! In addition, the very foundation of Rousseau's concern for Geneva has a basis in Montesquieu's thought. More importantly, in Discourse on InequalityRousseau is in many ways extremely negative about the progress of reason. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. ROUSSEAU Letter to M. d'Alembert on the Theatre}.-}.Rousseau, Citizen ofGeneva TO M. d'A1embert, of the French Academy, The Royal Academy of Sci ences ofParis, the Prussian Academy, the Royal Society ofLondon, the Royal Academy of Literature of Sweden, and the Institute of Bologna; On his article Geneva in the seventh volume of fEncyclopedie and By placing this particular discussion of Phaedra and what occurs in our theaters in the second of two successive chapters devoted to the topic of civil laws that are contrary to natural law, Montesquieu underscores the moral importance of the theatre for a society. Later Rousseau states that [t]he necessary relations between morals and government have been so well expounded in Spirit that one can do no better than have recourse to this work to study these relations; see Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile or On Education, translated by Allan Bloom (New York, NY, 1979, Book 5, 458, 468. Even though there are other forms of entertainment in Geneva that exemplify bad manners, Rousseau claims that none of these areas are more destructive to the people's good taste than the theatre. In such a case, theatre is useful [] for covering the ugliness of vice with the polish of forms; in a word, for preventing bad morals from degenerating into brigandage.Footnote88 In speaking somewhat sarcastically about the positive role of theatre in such a corrupt society, Rousseau reveals that he would not recommend the proscription of the theatre in Paris and thus he is not such a one as to venture to constrain its women, make laws to correct their mores, and limit their luxury.Footnote89 Here, Rousseau acknowledges that theatre may, in fact, at least prevent what he sees as the debaucheries of Parisian society. While he surely discerns the vices of commercial peoples, he also points out the positive transformative power of commerce in bringing peace and understanding among peoples; see Spirit, 20.1, 338. Jean-Jacques Rousseau & Background on Discourse on Inequality, Philosophical Context: Influences on Discourse of Inequality. [5] Ecclesiastical groups as well, namely the Jansenists, harshly condemned the theatre due to it being incompatible with Christian morality. Il ne peut pas se taire aprs ce qu'il a dj fait, il faut parler au public. In resisting such influence, Rousseau counters many of Montesquieu's specific arguments and judgements.

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