Description
Book SynopsisScholars have long debated the contribution Rousseau has made to political thought. Is he a theorist of radical individualism, a reactionary advocate for authoritarianism, or just a brilliantly paradoxical but ultimately incoherent controversialist...
Trade Review"Joseph R. Reisert sheds much light on Rousseau's understanding of how to educate people to virtue within societies whose devotion to virtue is somewhat less than singleminded. Among the many strengths of the book is its treatment of the underappreciated role of friendship in moral education. Reisert demonstrates that Rousseau hoped to educate his readers to virtue by establishing himself as their wise friend." -- Laurence D. Cooper, author of
Rousseau, Nature, and the Problem of the Good Life."Joseph Reisert's book is a compact, interesting analysis of Rousseau and of the place that virtue plays in his diagnosis of and prescription for modern society. The author's analysis of human nature as dynamic rather than static, his analysis of the consequences of amour-propre, and his chapter on friendship are very, very good indeed." -- Tracy B. Strong, University of California, San Diego
"Reisert (Colby College) argues in this well-written volume that many hints on how to resolve a tension between virtue and liberalism can be found in the works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau....His analysis of Rousseau is nuanced, sympathetic, and will not be easily dismissed. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above." * Choice *
