Philosophy Tea - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau: A misunderstood philosopher?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was, and still is, a controversial thinker. He has been blamed for the excesses of the French Revolution and preparing the way for twentieth-century totalitarianism. But is this a fair assessment of Rousseau? In order to try to answer this question, our philosophy tea will focus on Rousseau’s first important philosophical work, Discourse on the Arts and Sciences (1750), in which he first set forth his ideas on the natural goodness of humankind and how it has been corrupted by civilization. These ideas would play an important role in the development of his later, more mature political philosophy, and give rise to much of the controversy surrounding his name. By re-examining Rousseau’s ideas on nature and society, we hope to shed light not only on the impact he had on Enlightenment and Romantic thinking, but also what relevance he might have for us today

This episode of was recorded and edited at Reginateatern, which also served as the host venue for the event on 21 January 2019.

Producer: Paul Kessel

The Philosophy Tea talks were held regularly at the Regina Theatre in Uppsala from 2014 to 2021. During these well attended events – where tea, scones and jam were served – Professor Peter Wallensteen and Guest Lecturer Daniel Ogden, both of Uppsala University, discussed thinkers who have contributed to our understanding of peace and justice. In all, 40 sessions were held, of which 31 are recorded. The session were also supported by Uppsala University as part of its outreach activities.