Thus, [i]n the theater we congratulate ourselves for our moral sensitivity while remaining isolated from irksome involvement with our fellows; see Christopher Kelly, Rousseau and the Case for (and Against) Censorship, in Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Critical Assessments of Leading Political Philosophers, edited by John T. Scott, 4 vols (New York, NY, 2006, first published in 1997), IV, 20122 (209). Spirit, 4.8, 41; Spirit, 19.5, 310. At this time, Rousseau wants to serve that truth that contributes to the "public good," that is to say, to all individuals. Despite strikingly different conclusions, it is not only their use of similar terms when describing the theatre in general and Phaedra in particular that suggests Rousseau has Montesquieu's arguments in mind while responding publicly to d'Alembert. 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. 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. Rousseau continues to say that actors coming to the town of Geneva will be indifferent to the town's morality, and will quickly corrupt it. [6] Rousseau's views on the theatre are also thought to echo current concerns with global entertainment, television and Internet taking over local customs and culture. 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. for a customized plan. Rousseau, if not such a one whom Montesquieu envisions would endeavour to constrain the women of France or correct the French mores, is certainly one who attempts to prohibit the importation of such mores to other polities such as Geneva, and hence to circumscribe their influence.Footnote47 Rousseau concedes, however, that theatre may serve to halt an already corrupt society, such as that of the French, from collapsing into even deeper corruption. 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. Paul Rahe captures the general influence of Montesquieu on Rousseau most powerfully: the very features of classical republicanism that had occasioned such misgivings on Montesquieu's part were the features that Rousseau found most attractive.Footnote11 Other scholars, who focus more intently on the Letter, discern Montesquieu's influence in Rousseau's formulation that some practices, including the theatre, can be appropriate and even wholesome for some societies while noxious for others, as well as in his insistence that mores are crucial in determining what types of laws and institutions a given people can tolerate and maintain.Footnote12 Despite these important insights, the scholarship has neglected to document the degree to which Rousseau's Letter is an extended meditation on Montesquieu's thought generally and Book 19 of The Spirit of the Laws particularly. He writes that the actor is someone who is artificial, performs for money, subjects himself to disgrace, and abandons his role as a man. As a result, he advises that the greatest part of the penalty should be the infamy of suffering it.Footnote34 Furthermore, in Racine's depiction, Theseus is enraged at Hippolytus precisely because he regards his son's action as treasonous,Footnote35 and Montesquieu warns repeatedly that outrage at this particular crime can result in atrocious punishments for the guilty and innocent alike.Footnote36. 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. Marshall goes on to suggest that Rousseau's discussion of vanity, amour-propre, is inherently theatrical: the moment that people are aware they must present themselves for others, a theatrical consciousness is fostered such that the character and attributes that a person possesses become indistinguishable from what they seem to be.Footnote58 Rousseau laments that the introduction of theatre in an incorrupt society will induce people to substitute a theatrical jargon for the practice of the virtues.Footnote59 Of course, before Rousseau had offered this analysis, Montesquieu had comically depicted the tendency of social interactions to foster theatrical affectationseven theatrical masksin Rica's mistaken but understandable conflation of the actors and the audience in his description of the theatre in the Persian Letters. Rahe broaches the possibility that Rousseau's deep reflection on Montesquieu's Spirit, which his work for the Dupins afforded him, was the catalyst for Rousseau's illumination that occurred on the road to Vincennes when he was travelling to visit his imprisoned friend Denis Diderot; see Rahe, Soft Despotism, 7377. Here, he began to write his famous autobiography, Confessions, and formally renounced his Genevan citizenship. 13 Maurice Cranston, Jean-Jacques: The Early Life and Work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 17121754 (Chicago, IL, 1991, first published in 1982), 21315. 177. 52 Rousseau may be elaborating on Muralt's only description of tragedy in his Lettres: Elle convertit le Bon en Beau, sa maniere, en le faisant servir des Representations, des Peintures dont il n'est question que de savoir si elles sont bien faites; see Muralt, Lettres, 245. Rousseau was the least academic of modern philosophers and in many ways was the most influential. For example, d'Alembert selects for particular praise the type of welcome Geneva provided for Voltaire, recounting that the citizens of Geneva reveal their admirable sophistication by having provided haven for the beleaguered author and noting approvingly that these republicans bestowed on Voltaire the same marks of esteem and respect he has received from many monarchs.Footnote3 D'Alembert further observes with approbation that they now sanction in their environs the publishing of Voltaire's history, which condemns John Calvin for countenancing Michael Servetus's trial as a heretic within its walls and his burning just outside of them upon his conviction. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, (born June 28, 1712, Geneva, Switzerlanddied July 2, 1778, Ermenonville, France), Swiss-born philosopher, writer, and political theorist whose treatises and novels inspired the leaders of the French Revolution and the Romantic generation. In making this case in Letter to d'Alembert, Rousseau engages Montesquieu's thought by confirming some aspects of his predecessor's reflections while challenging others, frequently adopting Montesquieu's very language in order to counter the trends his predecessor's work might promote. Rousseau's Depiction of the Theatre and his Unnamed References to Montesquieu in the, http://artflsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:599.encyclopedie0513, http://dictionnaire-montesquieu.ens-lyon.fr/index.php?id=436, http://ouclf.iuscomp.org/articles/montesquieu.shtml, Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! In 1756, Rousseau left Paris. The most important was his Confessions, modeled on the work of the same title by St. Augustine and achieving something of the same classic status. Emphasis added. 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. They eventually became lovers, and des Warens persuaded him to convert to Catholicism. His thought marked the end of the European Enlightenment (the "Age of Reason"). 63 See Spirit, 28.22, 56162, where Montesquieu declares that men's connection to women is related, in part, to the fact that women are quite enlightened judges of a part of the things that constitute personal merit. As these two leading figures of the Enlightenment argue about censorship, popular versus high culture, and the proper role . He felt, moreover, a strong emotional drive toward the worship of God, whose presence he felt most forcefully in nature, especially in mountains and forests untouched by human hands. April 18, 2023, SNPLUSROCKS20 But see, for example, Grimsley, d'Alembert, 5354; Gargett, Vernet, Geneva, and the Philosophes, 14546. One of Rousseau's pivotal points in the Letter is that customs, opinions and priorities which are common and well-accepted among all citizens should be those that make accepting laws in favour of respect, equality and harmony a pleasurable and natural experience. In October of 1758, Rousseau published the Letter to d'Alembert to refute Jean d'Alembert's suggestion that Geneva establish a public theater. [3], Rousseau generally opposed the Enlightenment thrust that was occurring during his lifetime. 49 Bla Kapossy, Iselin contra Rousseau: Sociable Patriotism and the History of Mankind (Basel, 2006), 68. Despite drawing very different conclusions regarding the choice worthiness of sociability, commerce, and gentleness that theatre fosters than does Montesquieu, Rousseau makes essentially identical assessments and observations regarding its influence in shaping public opinion and the way in which spectacle in general contributes to the mores and manners of a given society. 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. Summary It is difficult to overstate the influence of Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the works of Mary Wollstonecraft. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (UK: / r u s o /, US: / r u s o / French: [ ak uso]; 28 June 1712 - 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher (), writer, and composer.His political philosophy influenced the progress of the Age of Enlightenment throughout Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the development of modern political, economic, and educational thought. In Rousseau's opinion, true love for the nurturing, feminine mother, instead of lustful love for a mistress, goes hand in hand with patriotism and civic harmony. 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. He was friendly with Enlightenment figures such as Diderot, and even wrote articles for the Encyclopdie, but later quarreled with them. If it did not exempt him from persecution, at least it ensured that his persecution was observed, and admiring femmes du monde intervened from time to time to help him so that Rousseau was never, unlike Voltaire and Diderot, actually imprisoned. [4], In this section, Rousseau expresses his belief that actors and actresses themselves are people of an undesirable lifestyle and potentially weak moral foundation. He also wrote Rousseau juge de Jean-Jacques (1780; Rousseau, Judge of Jean-Jacques) to reply to specific charges by his enemies and Les Rveries du promeneur solitaire (1782; Reveries of the Solitary Walker), one of the most moving of his books, in which the intense passion of his earlier writings gives way to a gentle lyricism and serenity. For a more comprehensive discussion of Rousseau's relationship to Muralt, see Kapossy, Iselin contra Rousseau, 3976; Charles Gould, Introduction, in Muralt, Lettres, 997 (8795). What d'Alembert intended as an encomium, Jean-Jacques Rousseau regarded as an outrage.6 In 1758 Rousseau penned an open letter to d'Alembert expressing his indignation at the essay's claims regarding his beloved birthplace. 1758 marked a break with many of the Enlightenment philosophers; his Letter to d'Alembert attacked d'Alembert's article in the French Encyclopedia on Geneva. Prof. Mostefai will present a newly completed critical edition of Rousseau's Letter to d'Alembert for the new complete edition of Rousseau's work currently in preparation in France (Garnier). mile is a book that seems to appeal alternately to the republican ethic of The Social Contract and the aristocratic ethic of The New Eloise. In other words, people have to share the concerns with legislators if a state is to be successful. Rather, he offers reasons to esteem a society in which individuals become spectacles for each other. [2], The Letter is considered to be highly personally relevant to Rousseau, whose patriotism and affinity for Geneva shows through as he writes to defend his country from moral decay. 1 Ronald Grimsley, Jean d'Alembert (London, 1963), 5277. 21 Diana J. Schaub, Erotic Liberalism: Women and Revolution in Montesquieu's Persian Letters (Lanham, MD, 1995), 11314. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In Emile, Rousseau refers to the illustrious Montesquieu, but criticises him for being content to discuss the positive right of established governments, and not treating, therefore, the principles of political right. 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. Some six years later Saint-Preux returns from his travels and is engaged as tutor to the Wolmar children. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Register a free Taylor & Francis Online account today to boost your research and gain these benefits: Spectacles and Sociability: Rousseau's Response in His, Department of Political Science, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA and New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA, USA. In the next book of The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu specifically illustrates how the theatre appeals to our natural morality: In our theaters we watch with pleasure when a young hero shows as much horror on discovering his step-mother's crime as he had for the crime itself; in his surprise, accused, judged, condemned, banished, and covered with infamy, he scarcely dares do more than make a few reflections on the abominable blood from which Phaedra is descended; he abandons what he holds most dear [] to give himself up to the vengeance of the gods, a vengeance he has not deserved. The key historical context of Discourse on Inequalitywas the complex phenomenon known as the Enlightenment. According to Montesquieu, it is exactly this tenderness [tendresse] that illustrates the power of the theatre over human beings.Footnote56 This softening of the mores, which Montesquieu sees as so valuable for producing human attachments, Rousseau finds unworthy of true men who will embrace and fulfil the duties of their polity.Footnote57 Thus, while Montesquieu uses Phaedra as an illustration of how theatre serves to eliminate moral ambiguity by reminding us of our natural morality, Rousseau uses the play to demonstrate drama's subversion of citizenship. Politics and the Arts: Letter to M. D'Alembert on the Theatre (Agora Editions) Paperback - October 31, 1968 by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Author), Allan Bloom (Translator) 11 ratings See all formats and editions Hardcover $45.00 Other used and collectible from $45.00 Paperback $18.95 Other new, used and collectible from $2.22 Remarkably, in his Letter to d'Alembert, Rousseau himself transmits this same assessment of the women in England, employing the very adjective that Montesquieu applies to them: English women are gentle and timid [timides].Footnote65 Nevertheless, where Montesquieu perceives this as having lamentable consequences for the English, Rousseau finds admirable results. The main action is on a platform [estrade], called the stage [thtre]. The principle of the theatre is to please, it is not, Rousseau argues, functional because the characters are always distant from man. For example, Rousseau elaborates on the moral results of Muralt's claim that theatre perverts the relationship of things. [5] To have a prosperous state, Rousseau believed, people needed to work together and harmoniously. 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. 3099067 Did you know that with a free Taylor & Francis Online account you can gain access to the following benefits? While Montesquieu's treatment of the theatre has been largely neglected by the scholarship, it appears not to have been neglected by Rousseau. [4], In spite of the letter being addressed directly to D'Alembert, it is undoubtedly meant to have an effect on the general population. In both the Persian Letters and The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu points to the theatre as a locus of sociability that has a transformative effect on its auditors. The most immediate result of Rousseau's vision that day in 1749 was the Discourse on the Sciences and Arts. You can view our. 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