How Does Rousseau Deal With Social Inequality

The overarching theme of this book is that political elite continue to get rich while the middle class gets poor. Hacker manages, somehow, to remain relatively unbiassed about our government issues despite being a progressive reformer. Hacker and Pierson theory is that inequality is, largely a political issue and can only be corrected by the American voters. The problem, of course, is that voters are to much divided to create a political change that is need improve America’s political issues. Political politicians severely favor big business interests and the wealthy elite to reform the political system, which attest to the old slogan of lifting oneself up by one's own bootstraps. The problems of political inequality, are real but the more we as American voters understand the political issues, the better America’s middleclass has for overcoming them, and this book provides a great deal of insight on the current obstacles to creating a progressive change in our current political

There is a large gap between the rich and the poor. A very small percentage of Americans hold more wealth than a very large percentage of Americans who are at the bottom of the economic ladder. The wealth distribution does not allow for a great country because there is such inequality and thus a lack of unity among the people. The exact opposite of Paine's view of 1791 is happening. He claimed that "the poor are not oppressed, the rich are not privileged", but the poor in America face daily oppression and the rich get a plethora of privileges. Many poor immigrants are treated as second class citizens, forced to take the jobs that others don't want. They often don't have enough money to live comfortably. There are "food deserts" in America where fresh food is very expensive, and these food deserts tend to be in the areas that citizens with lower economic status reside. They do not have access to nutritious foods, and that is a form of oppression. However, the wealthy tend to have more access to fresh food. They also typically have superior education, which leads to improved job opportunities. Most members of Congress have wealthy backgrounds, as do most presidents. Presidential and Congressional campaigns are so expensive in 2016, and it is practically impossible to afford to campaign if you are not rich. This oppresses the voices of the poor in government, which is supposed to represent all of the people. Paine's statement in Rights of Man is incorrect; the rich experience privileges while the poor face

According to Rousseau 's “Discourse on Inequality”, there are four stages to the social evolution in humans; it 's natural state, family, nation, and civil society. There are two types of inequalities, natural (or physical) and moral. Natural inequality stems from differences in age, health, or other physical characteristics. Moral inequality is established by convention or consent of men. One of the first and most important questions Rousseau asks is "For how is it possible to know the source of the inequality among men, without knowing men themselves?” (Rousseau, Preface) To answer this question, man cannot be considered as he is now, deformed by society, but as he was in nature. The problem is that as knowledge increases man’s ignorance. This essay, using Rousseau’s “Discourse on Inequality” as a backbone will try and identify the origins of inequality within race, class, gender and sexuality, and establish how these inequalities were brought out and maintained.

In the 21st century, the American media has portrayed the wealth inequality in the United States in a very black and white way. Poverty has become an ongoing problem and has accelerated the appalling wealth divide. In 2010, the poverty rate in the U.S. reached fifteen percent which was the highest it had reached in almost two decades. Obligations to providing equality and adequate living conditions have been removed; there is no more “moral code or ethical principle” that can be used to contradict this growing American atrocity. On one side of the spectrum there is the upper class, the esteemed one percent of the social hierarchy in our country; however, on the other side there is the desolate and extreme poor that are constantly being used

Rousseau, in his Discourse on the Origin of Inequality of Men, discusses the beginning and development of inequality of individuals. Rousseau seeks to discern whether the unequal treatment of men is dictated by natural laws or if it is a man made creation. When Rousseau analyzes humans in the state of nature, he claims we are all animalistic by nature. Humans in the state of nature are motivated by self-preservation much like animals and also pity. The difference between man and animals according to Rousseau is man’s perfectibility. Because man has very minimal needs in the state of nature, no concept of morality and limited interaction with other individuals, he is generally happy. Because in the state of nature man embodies the quality of perfectibility, he is able to adapt with his environment. As nature drives men to leave certain areas it forces them to learn new skills as they come in to contact with one another more often. As man connects with more and more individuals around him he becomes aware that he has more needs. As men begin to live in societies with more people they start comparing themselves to those around them and self-preservation and pity are no longer their main goals. Now, they have to do more work in order to be happy such as raise to greater heights then their fellow humans. Moral inequality is created as division of labor and property rights are invented. Owning property allows the rich to take advantage of the poor, leading to unstable relations

Jean-Jacques Rousseau poses the question if “there is peace in dungeons [would] that [be] enough to make dungeons desirable?” (Rousseau). His argument here is that society should never settle for a strict (and secure) political structure if it does not allow for civil freedom. His perpetual fascination and desire for civil freedom manifest itself to consume much of his work. From the first words of the text in The Social Contract (1762), Rousseau declares “man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains” (Rousseau). He speaks to the suffocation and struggle he endures in what he declares an intolerable position that is thrust on to free men that are forced to live in the confined and miserable dungeon known as society. Instead, Rousseau promotes a social and political life that offers civil freedom and equality on all fronts. Discourse on Inequality (1755) and The Social Contract (1762) are two radical texts that focus on challenging the status quo of the 18th Century regarding the ruling of the government, political institutions, and individuals within the confines of society. His arguments are the catalysts that spark a new outlook, a

Income inequality is one of the greatest problems facing the United States today. It is important for everyone to understand what this means and why this is a problem.

Wealth inequality is already shaping American politics and society, and has the dangerous potential to be the defining problem of the upcoming generation. A sizable cause for wealth inequality in America is a dire lack of

One of the social issues concerning power, status, and class in American society today is income inequality. The income gap between the social classes has increased drastically throughout the last few decades, creating a significant gap between the wealthy and the poor. This gap has become so large that the middle class has nearly diminished, creating a social class comprised of the rich and the poor. The significant gap between the two social classes is unhealthy for the economy because it provides too much power in the hands of those with high social status.

Income Inequality is a major problem that has been going on in America for decades. Many people feel that it barely exists today, but those people are very uneducated and don’t really care about the huge problem in front of them the many people that feel that way are highly uneducated, and seem to not really care about which has been gradually increasing instead of decreasing. Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done, only of course if the poor class of people decide to actually educate themselves and get a higher education. One says poor class, simply because that’s how they’re classified. There are five types of levels that Americans are classified as, and they are: Upper Class, Upper Middle Class, Middle Class, Working Class, Poor. The highest percentage of Americans fall in the Poor department, and it has been that way for decades, and will continue to be that way for decades to come.

In the “Discourse on Inequality,” Rousseau claims significantly to a smaller extent than the correspondent of this discourse was essential to persuade “crude, easily seduced men” (Rousseau pg.79). Rousseau emphasizes on the quote “They all ran to chain themselves” in the assumption that they were assuring their independence (Rousseau, pg.79). The weak chained themselves to political leaders so they would not have a conqueror. In other words, this is the moment when human beings lose themselves because we can never go back to the natural way of living which leads to being miserable since our soul longs for being a noble savage. Rousseau continues to state that even though they had adequate understanding to realize the benefits of a political

When reading Machiavelli's The Prince it is clear that there is a strong emphasis on the importance of the particular when it comes to measuring one’s virtue. This belief stems from the concept that fortune plays a part in the fate of day to day life, but the rest is determined by one’s actions afterwards(120). When speaking about the actions of the Prince, one who is to be seen as the most virtuous, Machiavelli says that he can be seen happy one day, and saddened the next but won't show any change in disposition or character(121). This ability to show no change in disposition, while in times of struggle makes it clear that one is not depending on the sole actions of fortune. Rather, one is choosing to be proactive in doing their best to

Income inequality has affected American citizens ever since the American Dream came to existence. The American Dream is centered around the concept of working hard and earning enough money to support a family, own a home, send children to college, and invest for retirement. Economic gains in income are one of the only possible ways to achieve enough wealth to fulfill the dream. Unfortunately, many people cannot achieve this dream due to low income. Income inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth between the social classes of American citizens. The United States has often experienced a rise in inequality as the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, increasing the unstable gap between the two classes. The

In A Discourse on Inequality, Rousseau seeks to explain the foundations of inequality. He uses the state of nature as an important function in his narrative. The state of nature refers to the prehistoric time when humans were not yet plagued by formal society and had absolute liberty. In the state of nature, the “savage man” has all his needs met but must be the strongest to ensure survival. Rousseau explains that the savage man “learned to overcome the obstacles of nature… to struggle for his subsistence even against men….”

To begin, inequality remains an injustice in which society strives to avoid because it often addresses the definitive distinction between the wealthy, and impoverished, oppressing those who are slaves to the rich. Rousseau indicates the inequalities of society when he states, “...Labour became necessary; and boundless forests became smiling fields, which it was found necessary to water with human sweat; and in which slavery and misery were soon seen to sprout out and grow with the fruits of the earth” (Rousseau [1761] 2004). Thus, Rousseau indicates how slavery became essential to human life, and that without the existence of slavery a civil society would cease to exist. A proper-functioning society only exists if there is slavery, and those