I'm just finishing re-reading Rousseau's "Confessions". Apart from what I think of the guy himself or of his philosophies, the book is absolutely fantastic.
Anyways, Rousseau, while being in his mid-thirties and of ailing health, decided to forgo pursuits of greater glory - which, in his case, meant wanting to become rich and influential via writing or composing music. He got rid of his material posessions attributed to the "aspiring" class (e.g. he was wearing fancy clothes and a silver sabre before) and got himself simple, lower-class clothes and haircut instead. He moved to desolate house on the outskirts of Paris, where most of his literary friends had troubles reaching him and wasting his time, like they did before in Paris proper. His idea for sustaining himself was to copy musical notes for the first half of the day, leaving the second half to himself. The second half was specifically meant for contemplation, spending time in nature and having time to think some "deep thoughts", which eventually percolated into his groundbreaking philosophical contributions.
Rousseau - the XVIII century Semi-ERE
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Re: Rousseau - the XVIII century Semi-ERE
I don't know. The ERE angle seems like a reach. Many think his retreat was based on paranoia and explains his falling out with Hume. It's also problematic, as it could be used as justification for his sending all his kids to an orphanage, a death sentence in the 18th century. I mean what's next "Charles Manson and The Rise of Mid-20th Century Permaculture" or "The Unabomber: Studies Of A Tiny House Pioneer." That being said, Rousseau's philosophic influence, especially on how we define personhood and its basis on psychological introspection and our inner life without an external reference point is undeniable and shapes our society today, especially in contrast to Augustine's Confessions which his title self-consciously references. But the bottom line is that unlike our past President, the man was not a stable genius and this fact most likely explains his going off the grid as opposed to him wanting to improve his SWR or some grand commentary against the rising tide of European consumer culture.
Re: Rousseau - the XVIII century Semi-ERE
I agree, he was definitely flawed and, in later years, not entirely stable. But, he found escaping to his retreat and picking up a simple part-time occupation (copying notes) as a way to cut off from the pressures of a superficial society. I think many of us here can relate with that.
Also, in my original post, I didn't bring up the fact that Rousseau was a true Renaissance man - by the age of 35 he could draw, play instruments, compose award-winning music, write renowned operas [1], write highly valued fiction and nonfiction (political treatises etc.), knew a couple of foreign languages and was very well-read. On top of that, he trained for about 2 years (IIRC) to become a goldsmith, he was tutoring children for another couple of years, held an important post in French embassy in Venice for 18 months, he was co-managing a farm (although rather badly, he was bad at management in general), worked as an literary editor. He accomplished all that without any support (nepotism was the most common way of accomplishing anything back in those times) - his mother died when he was little, his father basically abandoned him when he was around 10.
Such lives were much more common back then than they are now in the age of corporate dweebs, but still, the book can be an inspiration for someone wanting to become a renaissance man.
Btw, as from Manson, I believe he was more of a hunter-gatherer than permaculturist? He spent hours per day hunting in his years of solitude in the cabin. He was truly feral.
[1] French king loved one of them so much that he wanted to give Rousseau a pension that would probably set him for life. Rousseau didn't go see the king and receive the pension because of his bladder problems...
Also, in my original post, I didn't bring up the fact that Rousseau was a true Renaissance man - by the age of 35 he could draw, play instruments, compose award-winning music, write renowned operas [1], write highly valued fiction and nonfiction (political treatises etc.), knew a couple of foreign languages and was very well-read. On top of that, he trained for about 2 years (IIRC) to become a goldsmith, he was tutoring children for another couple of years, held an important post in French embassy in Venice for 18 months, he was co-managing a farm (although rather badly, he was bad at management in general), worked as an literary editor. He accomplished all that without any support (nepotism was the most common way of accomplishing anything back in those times) - his mother died when he was little, his father basically abandoned him when he was around 10.
Such lives were much more common back then than they are now in the age of corporate dweebs, but still, the book can be an inspiration for someone wanting to become a renaissance man.
Btw, as from Manson, I believe he was more of a hunter-gatherer than permaculturist? He spent hours per day hunting in his years of solitude in the cabin. He was truly feral.
[1] French king loved one of them so much that he wanted to give Rousseau a pension that would probably set him for life. Rousseau didn't go see the king and receive the pension because of his bladder problems...
Re: Rousseau - the XVIII century Semi-ERE
I've thought about this. Manson was a monster who provided no benefit to humanity. Rousseau was monstrous, and someone to whom I am 180 degrees epistemologically opposed. However, I will admit he did provide benefit to humanity such as his emphasis on human dignity. I don't like to throw out the benefit baby with the ad hominem bathwater, but something as morally reprehensible as functional filicide makes him someone I would not hold up as an exemplar to the Renaissance ideal as I believe ethics plays a role. Otherwise, it's just an aesthetic story which is probably my biggest complaint about his thought in the first place.