Rousseau’s Dualism: Analyzing Body and Soul in Human Nature

1. Analysis of Rousseau’s Argument on Human Nature

We are presented with an argumentative essay concluding that human nature consists of two substances: body and soul. Rousseau posits this statement and subsequently rejects potential objections. The text is structured into three distinct parts:

• Part 1 (Lines 1–12): Human nature comprises two substances: a) the material body, which is passive and enslaved, and b) the rational soul, which is free.
• Part 2 (Lines 12–15): Man is not a simple entity; awareness, the foundation of morality, is not a product of prejudice and cannot be explained through purely materialistic terms.
• Part 3 (Lines 15–end): The definition of substance and a reductio ad absurdum of materialism, refuting the sophist view: stones and trees do not think or feel, yet man does. Therefore, man possesses both a soul and a body.

2. Defining Substance and Nature in Rousseau’s Philosophy

The text defines "substance" as a primitive quality—something irreducible to any other quality. Classically, substance refers to that which lies "below," and Rousseau maintains this traditional significance. He identifies the soul as a primary, primitive reality that distinguishes humanity. While he acknowledges the extended substance of the body, he focuses his intellectual effort on proving the reality of the soul against materialist arguments.

Regarding "nature," Rousseau interprets it as "being," despite his stated aversion to metaphysics. His usage aligns with the concept of "being," tinged with a nostalgia for the "state of nature." In this context, "nature" signifies the "beginning of operations," or the capacity to act in a specific manner. Consequently, human nature consists of two materials and two corresponding types of operations: material and spiritual.