The Discourse on the Origins of Inequality Among Men

Examples of The Discourse on the Origins of Inequality Among Men in the following topics:

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  • In The Discourse on the Origins of Inequality Among Men (1754), Rousseau maintained that man in a state of nature had been a solitary, ape-like creature, who was not méchant (bad), as Hobbes had maintained, but (like some other animals) had an "innate repugnance to see others of his kind suffer."
  • He asserted that the stage of human development associated with what he called "savages" was the best or optimal in human development, between the less-than-optimal extreme of brute animals on the one hand and the extreme of decadent civilization on the other.
  • Espousing the belief that all degenerates in men's hands, Rousseau taught that men would be free, wise, and good in the state of nature and that instinct and emotion, when not distorted by the unnatural limitations of civilization, are nature's voices and instructions to the good life.
  • In his Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences (1750), Rousseau argued, in opposition to the dominant stand of Enlightenment thinkers, that the arts and sciences corrupt human morality.
  • During the period of the French Revolution, Rousseau was the most popular of the philosophers among members of the Jacobin Club.

• The American Enlightenment

  • The American Enlightenment was an era of prolific discourse in which Anglo-American intellectuals studied human nature, society, and religion.
  • It was a popular perception among the philosophers, who adopted deistic attitudes to varying degrees.
  • Locke's Two Treatises of Government (1691) challenged the principle that hierarchical, monarchical systems of government originated from God's divine law.
  • Thomas Paine's Common Sense, published at the outset of the American Revolution, drew heavily on the theories of on Locke and is largely considered one of the most virulent attacks on political despotism.
  • ...to secure these rights [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness] governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government.

• Social class in America

  • Among other low-wage jobs, she worked in Wal-Mart, earning $6.00 per hour.
  • The origins of inequality can be found in the transition from hunter/gatherer societies to horticultural/pastoralist societies.
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau linked private property with inequality in his book, Discourse on Inequality.
  • Even so, the question of the origin of inequality remains today in addition to why inequality continues.
  • Inequality continues because those at the top protect their positions and use their power to influence other parts of society.

• Global Stratification and Inequality

  • Global inequality refers to the unequal distribution of resources among individuals and groups based on their position in the social hierarchy.
  • Inequality occurs when a person's position in the social hierarchy is tied to different access to resources, and it largely depends on differences in wealth .
  • Together with SES, these shape the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among individuals.
  • For example, within a given social class, women are less likely to receive job promotions than men.
  • People in countries around the world experience different access to resources and opportunities and different standards of living, based on their position in the global hierarchy.

• Family and Gender Issues

  • The gender pay gap is measured as the ratio of female to male median yearly earnings among full-time, year-round (FTYR) workers.
  • On average, women take more time off and work fewer hours, often due to the unequal distribution of childcare and domestic labor.
  • Family obligations tend to pull down on women's earnings as they proceed through the life course and have more children.
  • The demands of women having to manage work and family lives have become an obsession of American popular culture.
  • Traditionally, women are expected to stay at home and take care of the children, while men earn wages to financially support their families.

• Families and Inequality

  • While heterosexual marriage does increase the socioeconomic status of women, men reap many benefits from this type of living arrangement.
  • For instance, while many women manage a household's finances, men generally retain control of the money.
  • In short, the benefits of heterosexual marriage tend to favor men over women.
  • Among the rights distinguishing serfdom from slavery was the right to enter a legally recognizable heterosexual marriage.
  • About 10-15% of women and 20-25% of men in the U.S. engage in extramarital sex.

• Stratification

  • Inequality occurs when a person's position in the social hierarchy is tied to different access to resources.
  • Inequality largely depends on differences in wealth.
  • Together with SES, race and gender shape the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities, and privileges among individuals.
  • For example, within a given social class, women are less likely to receive job promotions than men.
  • Globally, the poorest 20% of the population, or lowest tier of the stratified economic order, makes a disproportionately small percentage of global income and lives off of a meager amount.

• Introduction to the Enlightenment

  • However, historians of race, gender, and class note that Enlightenment ideals were not originally envisioned as universal in the today's sense of the word.
  • She argued for a society based on reason, and that women, as well as men, should be treated as rational beings.
  • Another important development was the popularization of science among an increasingly literate population.
  • While the philosophy of the Enlightenment was dominated by men, the question of women's rights appeared as one of the most controversial ideas.
  • She suggests that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and imagines a social order founded on reason.

• Scientific Exploration

  • Science, based on empiricism and rational thought and embedded with the Enlightenment ideal of advancement and progress, came to play a leading role in Enlightenment discourse and thought.
  • Among the prominent astronomers of the age was Edmund Halley.
  • Modern sociology largely originated from the 'science of man' movement.
  • Smith acknowledged indebtedness and possibly was the original English translator.
  • Beccaria is recognized as one of the fathers of classical criminal theory.

• Theories of Gender Differences

  • As discussed in the chapter on socialization, socialization is the process of transferring norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors to future group members.
  • In this perspective, which was developed in the 1940s and 1950s, genders are viewed as complementary - women take care of the home while men provide for the family.
  • Men's dominance of women and cisgender dominance of transgender is seen as an attempt to maintain power and privilege to the detriment of women.
  • This approach seeks to excavate the origins of gender beliefs and patterns while paying specific attention to the ways these meanings change in relation to shifting power dynamics and social norms.
  • Feminist Theory defines patriarchy as a social system that is (1) male dominated (e.g., the primary positions of power are occupied by and/or encouraged for males rather than others), (2) male identified (e.g., what is defined as valuable or normative in society is associated with men and masculinities), and (3) male centered (e.g., the cultural focus of attention, whether media, scientific, religious, or political based, is on men and the things men do).