UC Davis

Although Rousseau is well-known for his doctrine of the natural goodness of man, his new doctrine has not attracted much attention on how it responds to a tradition of philosophical and theological thought that centers on the related claims concerning original sin, the will to dominate, and pride. I argue that Rousseau’s account of natural goodness is helpfully understood as a critique of the tradition that identifies a will to dominate in human nature – a tradition beginning with Augustine’s account of original sin and continued in the thinking of Hobbes and Locke. Understanding Rousseau’s treatment of the will to dominate as arising from societal corruption of human nature illuminates the educational program in Emile as an attempt to curb the desire to dominate.