Rousseau's Ethics of Truth

Jason Neidleman is Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Department of History and Political Science at the University of La Verne, USA

• Introduction Part I: Rousseau’s Ethics of Truthseeking 1. Rousseau’s "Fundamental Principle" 2. Communion 3. Ethics of Truthseeking Part II: Rousseau's Pathways to Truth 4. Reverie 5. Republicanism 6. Religion 7. Reason Conclusion

"Neidleman has produced a powerful and original synthetic reading of Rousseau's principal works and concerns, one that combines a sensitivity to historical and textual detail with making clear the enduring importance of Rousseau to contemporary moral and political thought. Its value to Rousseau scholars lies in establishing the unity of Rousseau's thinking and basic approach across his writings on nature, politics, morality and religion, where previous scholars had often seen incoherence and division. Both in its overview of Rousseau's œuvre and in its penetrating discussions of particular topics such as the practice of 'reverie', the relationship between patriotism and popular sovereignty, and Rousseau's wariness about 'reason', this book makes a vital contribution to Rousseau studies and one that every serious scholar of Rousseau's work will want to engage with." --Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews