ABSTRACT OF PAPER
Title: Rousseau’s critique of the market
Author: Friden Bertil
Rousseau criticized the market continuously in his writings. He did it from perspectives such as personal experiences of fraud, cases of asymmetric information, and the vulnerability of those dependent on the market for survival goods compared with those only demanding luxury goods. It will be argued that his critique is not simply an expression of a personality trait (Starobinski), but expresses a consistent philosophy. The nature of this connection will be discussed. Is this market critique for example a special case of an ethically based general critique of egoistic pleasure maximization, is it founded on a conscious critique of the market as an efficient way to optimization for the provision of what he considers important life qualities or can it be understood as a part of a broader consideration of different moods of provision (such as market, subsistence economies or state regulations) that were much discussed at his time? The roles in his writings of two features will be especially considered. The first is his discussion of the danger of becoming dependent on the market for goods necessary for one’s survival. The second is his critique of status goods, consumed in order for the consumer to be well-considered by others in contrast to the productive consumption of something above necessities he describes in the Elysium of Julie ou la nouvelle Héloïse.
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