Jean Jacques Rousseau Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jean Jacques Rousseau - Essay Example This consent of the public is critically important for welfare of a society because this consent is directly related to a low rate of crime, violence, and chaos. In order to avoid drastic consequences and to preserve the supremacy of the state over the individuals, many philosophers made great contributions to raising awareness about the social contract. This very riveting concept picked momentum due to monumental works introduced by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This essay is primarily based on scrutinizing the highly memorable book written by Rousseau in 1762 which is called â€Å"The Social Contract† (TSC). Following discussion will include a comprehensive analysis of this concept which was rigorously popularized by Rousseau in his book. The essay will try to explore what exactly Rousseau means by the term â€Å"Social contract† and what is the nature of its relationship with politics. Rousseau was well-aware of the value added by civil freedom to virtuous performance in life, so he indefinitely stressed on replacing personal freedom with civil freedom. He suggested that civil undertakings or obligations without a social contract are bound to be considered tyrannical (Rousseau 2004, p. 195). But, a social contract motivates the entire community to compel a defiant person to abide by the general will. Rousseau was of the view that this sort of community behaviour adds immense strength to mind and character. It was never his intention to push people into slavery because in TSC, he does not urge his audience to completely sacrifice their physical freedom. Rather, he stresses that the social order is in fact a way of preserving natural freedom. Rousseau is highly conscious of the fact that excess of everything is bad. There is an extent to which physical freedom should be sacrificed in order to be admitted into a civil society and become a full and

Base on reading of the Bunraku play chushingura Essay

Base on reading of the Bunraku play chushingura - Essay Example The play entails several sub-plots and elements, but it primarily emphasizes on the notions of honor and loyalty that pervaded the Japanese society and the play primarily focuses on these traits as the main theme. The protagonist of the play is Yuranosuke, who is the chief retainer of Hangan’s household and wants to fulfill his master’s dying wish to avenge him. Yuranosuke is assisted by a band of retainers, who have sworn allegiance to him and go to severe extremes to help him accomplish his mission; Kampei is one of the most notable retainers, who is unable to make any substantial contribution to the assassination plot, but his devotion to Hangan still moves all the other retainers to include him in the list. Yuranosuke’s loyalty to his master is exhibited through his undying resolve to exact revenge on Morono. Even though, a vendetta in Tokugawa Japan is punishable by ritual suicide, but the retainers remain resolute under Yuranosuke. They are ready to lay dow n their lives for their Master Hangan, which is a sure sign of their loyalty. Moments before Hangan is ordered to commit Seppuku; ritual suicide, he asks Yuranosuke, to take his dagger after his death, which clearly indicates his wish to be avenged. Yuranosuke, who is both aggrieved and determined to take revenge upon his master’s tormentor, licks the blood off his master’s dagger ; this act to show his dedication to the cause (p. 23). He gathers all the other retainers, who are devoted to cause and secretly starts off the vendetta. The vendetta is a secret mission; therefore he takes every measure to protect it from Morono, who was already suspicious of it. The strength of Yuranosuke’s resolve to proceed with the assassination is very clear as he is willing to do anything to prevent his plan from getting compromised. He even eats fish on his master’s death anniversary; which is considered to be a great religious taboo, but he breaks it just so he could p rotect his master’s last wish. After their master’s death, the retainers were left without a leader and Yuranosuke, being the chief retainer in Hangan’s household gained the leadership by default. All his fellow retainers were quite dedicated to him and had they not sworn complete allegiance to him, they would not have been able to bring their plans to fruition. The case of the merchant in the play further underscores the lot’s loyalty to Yuranosuke; the merchant had been supplying them with weapons in order to help them with the plot. The merchant had sent his wife off to live with her parents in order to prevent her from finding out about the plan, but in so doing he earned the ire of his father-in-law, who wanted her daughter to marry someone of wealth and constantly forced the merchant to divorce her. Upon seeing his ordeal, Yuranosuke intervenes and cuts off the woman’s lock and prevents her remarriage. This trait is reflected in all of Hangan ’s retainers, particularly Kampei as well. He suffers from a lingering guilt for he had abandoned his post in order to meet his lover, with whom he had scheduled daily trysts and when Hangan was being provoked into drawing his sword, he had been with his lover all this while. As a result, Kampei always felt guilty and responsible for his master’