Book Review: Emile by J. J. Rousseau

Emile, or On Education by Jean Jacques Rousseau, introduction, translation, and notes by Allan Bloom 

Rousseau is famous for a "back to nature" philosophy. In The Social Contract, he famously claims that men are born free but everywhere in chains. Before living in society, humans were free to do what they wanted and lived in an idyllic harmony. Entering into a larger society put restraints on human freedom that are, in Rousseau's philosophy, deleterious to human happiness. Here he discusses his ideal of education, following the same path toward human fulfillment. Emile is a fictional child put in Rousseau's care and he carefully describes how he would raise the young boy.

In addition to rejecting society life like in the big cities, Rousseau also rejects formal schooling, seeking to put Emile in nature as much as possible. Emile is to explore the world, ask questions about it, and solve problems on his own if he can. He isn't supposed to be "raised by wolves" because Rousseau carefully orchestrates and manipulates situations to ensure an optimal outcome. His concepts are interesting and have occasional persuasive moments but I found it hard not to see a lot of artificiality creeping in to Emile's natural development. He is not stuck in a classroom or in social situations but he is, to a great extent, still slotted into a specific path by his instructor. Nature isn't as wild, woolly, and dangerous as it looks to eyes other than Rousseau's. This disconnect from real experience is the problem with imagined situations. While I appreciate his optimism, he needs a bit more realism to be persuasive.

The writing style is clever and entertaining. Many moments are charming. This can be fun to read though I don't know how valuable it is. The book runs long with a lot of digressions into other topics, including a reprise of The Social Contract at the end that feels shoehorned in.

Not recommended.