Roger Masters, The Political Philosophy of Rousseau. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968).

From the publisher:

Masters writes in his introduction about the unity of Rousseau’s works: Man is naturally good but it is society that depraves. That is one way to characterize Rousseau’s thought. Man is motivated by two forces. One is self-preservation and one’s own welfare. This “self-interest” side is balanced by “pity” for the suffering of others. The evident self-centered side of natural man is contained by natural man’s other-centeredness. Presumably, in Master’s view, it is this other-centeredness aspect that amounts to the “goodness” of natural man. While Masters notes that “freedom” is a key theme in Rousseau, he does not see that as the more fundamental unifying theme to Rousseau’s thought. Yet, for Rousseau, man, as natural being, is all about being free to be who or what he needs to be. This is what Emile is about. The developing child is educated by nature (experience, not thought) so that he or she can develop his true nature. Rousseau rails against the arts and sciences because they pull man off center from his true being. Inequality is bad because it results in people not being free. In his system of governance, Rousseau’s social contract and the general will are designed to protect man’s freedom (self-rule). Despite this difference in emphasis, Masters’s detailed study of Rousseau is comprehensive and informative.

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