The author examines Jean-Jacques Rousseau's political thought from the angle of classical republicanism. To offer an account of Rousseau's republicanism she explores his idea of the citizen and civic virtues. In addition, eighteenth-century conceptions of luxury and Rousseau's ideas of the patriot and liberty are discussed. Rousseau's republicanism is here considered to stem from his Genevan legacy and his ideas are seen as a critical response to the contemporary ascendancy of the Mandevillean idea of man, which emphasized the values and virtues attached to commerce. Contents: Jean-Jacques Rousseau - French dictionaries - Republic - Citizen - Virtue - Geneva - Luxury - Patriot - Liberty. The Author: Merja Kylmäkoski is currently working as a researcher at the Research Institute for Social Sciences in the University of Tampere, Finland. "... a work that sheds new light on Rousseau's concept of the citizen, on the illuminating debates on virtue, and skillfully repositions the former 'Citoyen de Genève' in the classical republican tradition." (Alexis Keller, Finnish Yearbook of Political Thought)
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