On Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Considered as One of the First Authors of the Revolution (Atopia: Philosophy, Political Theory, Aesthetics) - Softcover

Swenson, James

 
9780804738644: On Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Considered as One of the First Authors of the Revolution (Atopia: Philosophy, Political Theory, Aesthetics)
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0804738645 ISBN 13: 9780804738644
Verlag: Stanford University Press, 2000

Inhaltsangabe

In order to grasp what it means to call Rousseau an "author" of the Revolution, as so many revolutionaries did, it is necessary to take full measure of the difficulties of literary interpretation to which Rousseau's work gives rise, particularly around such a charged term as "author." On Jean-Jacques Rousseau shows that Rousseau's texts consistently generate a division in their own reading, a division both designated and masked by the fiction of authorship. These divisions can occur successively-as in the narrative reversals and discontinuities characteristic of Rousseau's fictional and autobiographical works-or simultaneously, in the form of incompatible attempts to apply the lessons of a single text to an urgent historical moment. Given the structure of these texts, their "influence" can only occur in an equally paradoxical form. Rousseau's contribution to revolutionary thinking lies in his conceptualization of the constitutive function of misunderstanding and narrative discontinuity, in history and political action as well as in literature. Such misunderstandings and discontinuities are particularly well illustrated by the vicissitudes of the reading of Rousseau's texts during the revolutionary period, a moment when "readings" occurred as political programs. The Revolution enacted Rousseau precisely to the extent that revolutionaries could not agree on what action he called for. He is "one of the first authors of the Revolution" not because he was one of its causes, but because he provided the terms in which the logic of the revolutionary process becomes intelligible.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

James Swenson is Assistant Professor of French at Rutgers University.

Von der hinteren Coverseite

In order to grasp what it means to call Rousseau an “author” of the Revolution, as so many revolutionaries did, it is necessary to take full measure of the difficulties of literary interpretation to which Rousseau’s work gives rise, particularly around such a charged term as “author.”
On Jean-Jacques Rousseau shows that Rousseau’s texts consistently generate a division in their own reading, a division both designated and masked by the fiction of authorship. These divisions can occur successively—as in the narrative reversals and discontinuities characteristic of Rousseau’s fictional and autobiographical works—or simultaneously, in the form of incompatible attempts to apply the lessons of a single text to an urgent historical moment. Given the structure of these texts, their “influence” can only occur in an equally paradoxical form. Rousseau’s contribution to revolutionary thinking lies in his conceptualization of the constitutive function of misunderstanding and narrative discontinuity, in history and political action as well as in literature.
Such misunderstandings and discontinuities are particularly well illustrated by the vicissitudes of the reading of Rousseau’s texts during the revolutionary period, a moment when “readings” occurred as political programs. The Revolution enacted Rousseau precisely to the extent that revolutionaries could not agree on what action he called for. He is “one of the first authors of the Revolution” not because he was one of its causes, but because he provided the terms in which the logic of the revolutionary process becomes intelligible.

Aus dem Klappentext

In order to grasp what it means to call Rousseau an author of the Revolution, as so many revolutionaries did, it is necessary to take full measure of the difficulties of literary interpretation to which Rousseau s work gives rise, particularly around such a charged term as author.
On Jean-Jacques Rousseau shows that Rousseau s texts consistently generate a division in their own reading, a division both designated and masked by the fiction of authorship. These divisions can occur successively as in the narrative reversals and discontinuities characteristic of Rousseau s fictional and autobiographical works or simultaneously, in the form of incompatible attempts to apply the lessons of a single text to an urgent historical moment. Given the structure of these texts, their influence can only occur in an equally paradoxical form. Rousseau s contribution to revolutionary thinking lies in his conceptualization of the constitutive function of misunderstanding and narrative discontinuity, in history and political action as well as in literature.
Such misunderstandings and discontinuities are particularly well illustrated by the vicissitudes of the reading of Rousseau s texts during the revolutionary period, a moment when readings occurred as political programs. The Revolution enacted Rousseau precisely to the extent that revolutionaries could not agree on what action he called for. He is one of the first authors of the Revolution not because he was one of its causes, but because he provided the terms in which the logic of the revolutionary process becomes intelligible.

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Verlag
Stanford University Press
Erscheinungsdatum
2000
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
0804738645
ISBN 13 
9780804738644
Einband
Tapa blanda
Anzahl der Seiten
340
Kontakt zum Hersteller
Nicht verfügbar
Verantwortliche Person
Nicht verfügbar

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