In the Essay A Dissertation on the Origin and Foundation of the Inequality of Mankind, Jean Rousseau was looking at all the wrongs of the feudal system. He shares what he believes are the four inequalities between mankind.
We do have individual differences – that is so great! Is not man amazing! We see that we can progress and grow. We have developed such a complex language to share our thoughts and communicate with each other. We have developed so much good in the world, each in our own way. I love my washing machine and refrigerator. There are so many, many things that I am enjoying because many have individual differences and can progress! With these same advancements, we see that bad things have occurred with them. People have used their differences to gain power over others in good ways and in bad ways. The good ways included having wonderful mentors, teachers, and leaders. The bad ways are there also unfortunately, because we believe in choice. We just have to look around us and see how people have used their individual differences incorrectly. There is crime all around us, both at low levels and high levels of society. So what do we do about it? Rousseau suggests that if we take away property, we will not have as many problems. If we return to the state of nature or what he calls the “savage” man. Things will be better. But will we?
Rousseau states: It is in fact impossible to conceive why, in a state of nature, one man should stand more in need of the assistance of anther, than a monkey or a wolf of the assistance of another of its kind: or, granting that he did, what motives could induce that other to assist him; or, even then, by what means they could agree about the conditions.”
He continues, “... it is easy to conceive how much less the difference between man and man must be in a state of nature than in a state of society, and how greatly the natural inequality of mankind must be increased by the inequalities of social institutions.”
And
“Without my expatiating those uselessly on these details, everyone must see that as the bonds of servitude are formed merely by the mutual dependence of men on one another and the reciprocal needs that unit them, it is impossible to make any man a slave, unless he be first reduced in a situation in which he cannot do without the help of others: and, since such a situation does not exist in a state of nature, every one is there his own master, and the law of the strongest is of no effect.
“Having proved that the inequality of man is hardly felt, and that its influence is next to nothing in a state of nature, …”
As much as he points out the abuses of power that are true, I do not want to return to a state of nature. I don’t want to return to the law of the jungle, where only the fittest survive, and where we don’t have a society or community of other people around us. Maybe it is because I am not the strongest and the fittest out there. But I think it is more. As I reflect on the influence my family and friends have had on me, I see how much progress I have made as a person. I see the amazingness of family and friends. The power of a great education. I think I have the capacity to have more sympathy towards others and more kindness to all mankind because I love my family. If I didn’t have other people around me who cared for me and helped me to develop, I would be more animalistic. I would have fewer skills for helping others, and I would have less empathy and compassion when I see those who suffer. I don’t want to go back to the jungle; I want to march forward and keep progressing. Revolution is not the answer, love is. Rousseau will tell you we are worse off because of society, but I think we are better off. We have so many, many amazing things in this world because of our metallurgy and agricultural advances. True, we have used some of those advancements incorrectly and wrongly. We have used power incorrectly and wrongly. But we have also used it well and correctly. We have raised the standard of living for so many people, and if we unite and work to lift others with us, imagine the world we can build.
Paul Johnson in “A History of the American People” asks the readers this question, “[C]an a nation rise above the injustices of its origins, and, by its moral purpose and performance, atone for them? All nations are born in war, conquest, and crime, usually concealed by the obscurity of a distant past.”
Yes! I think we can. Of course, it will be a lot of work – hard work. But I think we can. I think we can show the way that everyone can live a better way with freedom instead of with oppression. The American Founders had so many things right when they set out to create a government where all men were equal before the law. Yes, they had some things wrong and so do we. Through a superb education, we can as families and communities, bring back all the great things of the Founding Fathers and work on fixing the wrongs. It is up to us to gain the tools we need to fix our communities and nations so that we can all live better lives. One of those inequalities is that man will use their wealth and power to legally plunder from others. Frederic Bastiat in his essay, The Law, shows us another alternative to Rousseau’s solution in how to deal with the inequalities in society. Rousseau was correct in stating that institutions of religion and government support plundering people. However, instead of revolution and the breakdown of societies back to a primitive state, I think we should consider Bastiat’s solutions of establishing or reestablishing a government where the laws are set up to guard against legalized plunder. And to establish a family culture of education that the Founding Fathers had so that we can establish freedom and opportunity for more people to share their greatness with the world and help all mankind. Imagine if we had an education like was described by Edmund Burke.
"Burke told Parliament that nearly all Americans read the great classics on these topics, and then he said: This study renders men acute, inquisitive, dexterous, prompt in attack, ready in defense, full of resources. In
other countries, the people, more simple, and of a less [brilliant] caste, judge of an ill principle in government
only by an actual grievance; here they anticipate the evil, and judge of the pressure of the grievance by the
badness of the principle. They [foresee] misgovernment at a distance; and snuff the approach of tyranny in
every tainted breeze." (Quoted in The US Constitution and the 196 Indispensable Principles of Freedom by Oliver DeMille, page 108)
- Merit – individual differences
- Power gained by those that use the individual differences
- Rank gained because of the use of power
- Wealth gained because of the use of rank and power.
We do have individual differences – that is so great! Is not man amazing! We see that we can progress and grow. We have developed such a complex language to share our thoughts and communicate with each other. We have developed so much good in the world, each in our own way. I love my washing machine and refrigerator. There are so many, many things that I am enjoying because many have individual differences and can progress! With these same advancements, we see that bad things have occurred with them. People have used their differences to gain power over others in good ways and in bad ways. The good ways included having wonderful mentors, teachers, and leaders. The bad ways are there also unfortunately, because we believe in choice. We just have to look around us and see how people have used their individual differences incorrectly. There is crime all around us, both at low levels and high levels of society. So what do we do about it? Rousseau suggests that if we take away property, we will not have as many problems. If we return to the state of nature or what he calls the “savage” man. Things will be better. But will we?
Rousseau states: It is in fact impossible to conceive why, in a state of nature, one man should stand more in need of the assistance of anther, than a monkey or a wolf of the assistance of another of its kind: or, granting that he did, what motives could induce that other to assist him; or, even then, by what means they could agree about the conditions.”
He continues, “... it is easy to conceive how much less the difference between man and man must be in a state of nature than in a state of society, and how greatly the natural inequality of mankind must be increased by the inequalities of social institutions.”
And
“Without my expatiating those uselessly on these details, everyone must see that as the bonds of servitude are formed merely by the mutual dependence of men on one another and the reciprocal needs that unit them, it is impossible to make any man a slave, unless he be first reduced in a situation in which he cannot do without the help of others: and, since such a situation does not exist in a state of nature, every one is there his own master, and the law of the strongest is of no effect.
“Having proved that the inequality of man is hardly felt, and that its influence is next to nothing in a state of nature, …”
As much as he points out the abuses of power that are true, I do not want to return to a state of nature. I don’t want to return to the law of the jungle, where only the fittest survive, and where we don’t have a society or community of other people around us. Maybe it is because I am not the strongest and the fittest out there. But I think it is more. As I reflect on the influence my family and friends have had on me, I see how much progress I have made as a person. I see the amazingness of family and friends. The power of a great education. I think I have the capacity to have more sympathy towards others and more kindness to all mankind because I love my family. If I didn’t have other people around me who cared for me and helped me to develop, I would be more animalistic. I would have fewer skills for helping others, and I would have less empathy and compassion when I see those who suffer. I don’t want to go back to the jungle; I want to march forward and keep progressing. Revolution is not the answer, love is. Rousseau will tell you we are worse off because of society, but I think we are better off. We have so many, many amazing things in this world because of our metallurgy and agricultural advances. True, we have used some of those advancements incorrectly and wrongly. We have used power incorrectly and wrongly. But we have also used it well and correctly. We have raised the standard of living for so many people, and if we unite and work to lift others with us, imagine the world we can build.
Paul Johnson in “A History of the American People” asks the readers this question, “[C]an a nation rise above the injustices of its origins, and, by its moral purpose and performance, atone for them? All nations are born in war, conquest, and crime, usually concealed by the obscurity of a distant past.”
Yes! I think we can. Of course, it will be a lot of work – hard work. But I think we can. I think we can show the way that everyone can live a better way with freedom instead of with oppression. The American Founders had so many things right when they set out to create a government where all men were equal before the law. Yes, they had some things wrong and so do we. Through a superb education, we can as families and communities, bring back all the great things of the Founding Fathers and work on fixing the wrongs. It is up to us to gain the tools we need to fix our communities and nations so that we can all live better lives. One of those inequalities is that man will use their wealth and power to legally plunder from others. Frederic Bastiat in his essay, The Law, shows us another alternative to Rousseau’s solution in how to deal with the inequalities in society. Rousseau was correct in stating that institutions of religion and government support plundering people. However, instead of revolution and the breakdown of societies back to a primitive state, I think we should consider Bastiat’s solutions of establishing or reestablishing a government where the laws are set up to guard against legalized plunder. And to establish a family culture of education that the Founding Fathers had so that we can establish freedom and opportunity for more people to share their greatness with the world and help all mankind. Imagine if we had an education like was described by Edmund Burke.
"Burke told Parliament that nearly all Americans read the great classics on these topics, and then he said: This study renders men acute, inquisitive, dexterous, prompt in attack, ready in defense, full of resources. In
other countries, the people, more simple, and of a less [brilliant] caste, judge of an ill principle in government
only by an actual grievance; here they anticipate the evil, and judge of the pressure of the grievance by the
badness of the principle. They [foresee] misgovernment at a distance; and snuff the approach of tyranny in
every tainted breeze." (Quoted in The US Constitution and the 196 Indispensable Principles of Freedom by Oliver DeMille, page 108)
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