Amour Propre: the Social and Political Inequalities of Property in Society
In the Second Discourse on Inequality, Jean Jacque Rousseau outlined the origin and development of private property. The formation of the hut was the first step towards the ultimate creation of society as families and communities formed. Unlike savage man who’s primary motivation was self-preservation, civilized man embraced amour propre as he started to compare his strengths and abilities to others. Although Rousseau argued that the invention of private property was not natural, it was inevitable as it became a necessity as a consequence of certain circumstances, such as metallurgy and agriculture. Furthermore, the inequalities of property established a division between …show more content…
In the process of developing private property, man discovered tools and utilized those tools in order to create a hut. The structure of this hut led to cohabitation among men and women. Afterwards, they started having children and a bond emerged between the mother and father. As a result, this became the first revolution as families were established in this form of property. The arrangements in this small society resulted in women staying at home and men searching for food on behalf of the family. Rousseau adds that the development of gender roles made women more subservient to men and established the first form of social inequality. As men acquired more things, the development of language became a necessity when natural catastrophes forced man to communicate with others and form a relationship. Furthermore, the first village festivals of these communities influenced man to become more self-aware of not only himself, but also of others. Whereas savage man sought self-preservation, civilized man began to embrace the concept of amour propre and sought to compare his abilities to
In the Second Discourse on Inequality, Jean Jacque Rousseau outlined the origin and development of private property. The formation of the hut was the first step towards the ultimate creation of society as families and communities formed. Unlike savage man who’s primary motivation was self-preservation, civilized man embraced amour propre as he started to compare his strengths and abilities to others. Although Rousseau argued that the invention of private property was not natural, it was inevitable as it became a necessity as a consequence of certain circumstances, such as metallurgy and agriculture. Furthermore, the inequalities of property established a division between …show more content…
In the process of developing private property, man discovered tools and utilized those tools in order to create a hut. The structure of this hut led to cohabitation among men and women. Afterwards, they started having children and a bond emerged between the mother and father. As a result, this became the first revolution as families were established in this form of property. The arrangements in this small society resulted in women staying at home and men searching for food on behalf of the family. Rousseau adds that the development of gender roles made women more subservient to men and established the first form of social inequality. As men acquired more things, the development of language became a necessity when natural catastrophes forced man to communicate with others and form a relationship. Furthermore, the first village festivals of these communities influenced man to become more self-aware of not only himself, but also of others. Whereas savage man sought self-preservation, civilized man began to embrace the concept of amour propre and sought to compare his abilities to