Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
E51247
Discourse on the Arts and Sciences is an influential 1750 philosophical essay by Jean-Jacques Rousseau that argues the progress of arts and sciences has corrupted human morality rather than improved it.
Aliases (2)
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Enlightenment-era text
→
philosophical essay → work of political philosophy → |
| author |
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
→
|
| awarded |
first prize of the Dijon Academy
→
|
| century |
18th century
→
|
| commissionedFor |
Dijon Academy prize competition
→
|
| competitionQuestion |
Has the restoration of the sciences and arts contributed to the purification of morals?
→
|
| countryOfOrigin |
France
→
|
| criticizes |
luxury
→
moral corruption in polite society → social refinement → vanity fostered by learning → |
| dateOfPrize |
1750
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|
| form |
prize essay
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|
| genre |
moral and political essay
→
philosophical discourse → |
| historicalContext |
early French Enlightenment
→
pre-Revolutionary France → |
| influenced |
Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men
→
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's later political thought → Romantic critiques of Enlightenment rationalism → critique of civilization in modern political philosophy → |
| language |
French
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|
| mainClaim |
learning and sophistication can foster vanity and dependence
→
progress in arts and sciences has corrupted human morality → refinement of taste and luxury undermines virtue → |
| mainTheme |
corruption of morals by arts and sciences
→
critique of progress → relationship between knowledge and virtue → social inequality → |
| notableFor |
argument that sciences and arts serve despotism
→
contrast between appearance and reality in morals → launching Rousseau's public reputation → paradoxical critique of Enlightenment progress → |
| originalTitle |
Discours sur les sciences et les arts
→
|
| philosophicalDomain |
ethics
→
philosophy of culture → political philosophy → |
| philosophicalMovement |
Enlightenment
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|
| philosophicalPosition |
priority of virtue over knowledge
→
skepticism about moral benefits of scientific progress → |
| placeOfPresentation |
Dijon Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
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|
| positionOnCompetitionQuestion |
negative
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|
| publicationYear |
1750
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|
| relatedWork |
Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men
→
The Social Contract → |
| supports |
moral integrity over intellectual brilliance
→
republican virtue → simplicity of manners → |
Referenced by (3)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Essays, Moral and Political
("Of the Rise and Progress of the Arts and Sciences")
→
|
hasPart |
|
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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|
notableWork |
|
Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
("Discours sur les sciences et les arts")
→
|
originalTitle |