Margins
Julia book cover
Julia
or, the new Eloisa. A series of original letters, collected and published by J. J. Rousseau. Translated from the French. In three volumes. … Volume 2 of 3
1761
First Published
3.67
Average Rating
418
Number of Pages
Julie ou La Nouvelle Héloïse est un roman épistolaire de six parties (163 lettres). Il connut un très grand succès aux 18e et 19e siècles. Il relate l’amour, « impossible » à cause de la différence de leurs conditions, entre un précepteur, M. de Saint-Preux, et son élève Julie, la fille du baron d’Étange, sur les rives du Léman. Le titre fait référence à la situation d’Héloïse et d’Abélard mais les commentateurs évoquent aussi l’amour contrarié de Rousseau pour Sophie d’Houdetot. C’est aussi l’occasion, pour Rousseau de dissertations philosophiques sur la nature et la culture, Paris et les parisiens comme le Valais et ses habitants. Le parlement de Paris, d’ailleurs, ne manque pas de les condamner. Dans cette œuvre romanesque, « feuillue » comme l’écrit Diderot, on fini par entrer et se prendre au jeu de la narration épistolaire dont ces lettres entrecroisées, d’abord déroutantes mettent en perspective l’intrigue et les réflexions. Il est difficile aujourd’hui d’imaginer le retentissement qu’eut cette œuvre tant pour son aspect de littérature romanesque et sentimentale (Charles Nodier dans sa préface au Peintre de Saltzbourg, le considère comme un précurseur du romantisme) que pour ses thèses philosophiques. Nous vous présentons, dans ce tome 2, les parties 3 à 6 dans le texte de l’édition des Œuvres complètes de 1852-3. 1761
Avg Rating
3.67
Number of Ratings
45
5 STARS
27%
4 STARS
24%
3 STARS
38%
2 STARS
11%
1 STARS
0%
goodreads

Author

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Author · 44 books

Swiss philosopher and writer Jean Jacques Rousseau held that society usually corrupts the essentially good individual; his works include The Social Contract and Émile (both 1762). This important figure in the history contributed to political and moral psychology and influenced later thinkers. Own firmly negative view saw the post-hoc rationalizers of self-interest, apologists for various forms of tyranny, as playing a role in the modern alienation from natural impulse of humanity to compassion. The concern to find a way of preserving human freedom in a world of increasingly dependence for the satisfaction of their needs dominates work. This concerns a material dimension and a more important psychological dimensions. Rousseau a fact that in the modern world, humans come to derive their very sense of self from the opinions as corrosive of freedom and destructive of authenticity. In maturity, he principally explores the first political route, aimed at constructing institutions that allow for the co-existence of equal sovereign citizens in a community; the second route to achieving and protecting freedom, a project for child development and education, fosters autonomy and avoids the development of the most destructive forms of self-interest. Rousseau thinks or the possible co-existence of humans in relations of equality and freedom despite his consistent and overwhelming pessimism that humanity will escape from a dystopia of alienation, oppression, and unfreedom. In addition to contributions, Rousseau acted as a composer, a music theorist, the pioneer of modern autobiography, a novelist, and a botanist. Appreciation of the wonders of nature and his stress on the importance of emotion made Rousseau an influence on and anticipator of the romantic movement. To a very large extent, the interests and concerns that mark his work also inform these other activities, and contributions of Rousseau in ostensibly other fields often serve to illuminate his commitments and arguments.

548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved