A brief introduction to Jean -Jacques Rousseau

(I had gone to the KGS grocery store in Madagadipattu with Kandavel (it was Kandavel who knew of that Chettiar’s shop and took me there). A photograph of a man was hung on the wall of the shop. I glanced at the picture naturally; I had indeed bought goods from the Chettiar depicted in it. The image bore a resemblance to the French philosopher Rousseau. Seeing this, I wondered if a discussion regarding the article on our website was perhaps underway. (I had posted a note about Rousseau, along with a picture showing his head and shoulders, on my blog). That night, I dreamt of a large wedding hall. I saw many people lying down, sitting, and standing there. As I looked for a spot to lie down, Rousseau smiled and said something. I understood his words to mean, "Here is a space; lie down." In this dream, I encountered Rousseau, the voice for human rights. In many of my dreams, I understand what people say; even when foreigners appear and speak, I am able to comprehend them. It gives me a small sense of satisfaction that, even in my retirement, I am able to do some work for human rights. (I had another dream just last night: a large hall. There was leftover rice in the kitchen. I gathered it into a ball and carried it to the shed at the back; two dogs came running up, and I placed the rice before them. They ate the food heartily.) — To be continued. Let us protect human rights. Let us reclaim lost human rights.)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that human beings are naturally good, compassionate, and free in their original state. In his view, people living in the “state of nature” were guided by basic needs and a natural sense of pity toward others rather than by selfish ambition or competition. Rousseau argued that many of the moral problems seen in society—such as inequality, greed, jealousy, and oppression—arise not from human nature itself but from the development of civilization and social institutions.

According to Rousseau, the introduction of private property marked a turning point in human history. As societies became more complex, people began comparing themselves with others, leading to rivalry, dependence, and the desire for social status. This corrupted humanity’s natural goodness and created artificial inequalities.

Despite his criticism of society, Rousseau did not advocate a return to primitive life. Instead, he sought a political and social order that could preserve individual freedom while promoting the common good. In his work The Social Contract, he proposed that legitimate government should be based on the “general will,” reflecting the collective interests of citizens.

Overall, Rousseau viewed humanity as inherently good but corrupted by social conditions. He believed that through proper education, just political institutions, and civic participation, people could recover freedom, equality, and moral integrity.