For Rousseau, "consecrating one's life to the truth" (his personal credo) meant publicly taking responsibility for what one published and only publishing what would be of public benefit. Christopher Kelly argues that this commitment is central to understanding the relationship between Rousseau's writings and his political philosophy. Unlike many other writers of his day, Rousseau refused to publish anonymously, even though he risked persecution for his writings. But Rousseau felt that authors must be self-restrained, as well as bold, and must carefully consider the potential political effects of what they might publish: sometimes seeking the good conflicts with writing the truth. Kelly shows how this understanding of public authorship played a crucial role in Rousseau's conception - and practice - of citizenship and political action. "Rousseau as Author" should be a ground-breaking book not just for Rousseau scholars, but for anyone studying Enlightenment ideas about authorship and responsibility.

About the Author
Christopher Kelly is professor of political science at Boston College. He is the author of Rousseau's Exemplary Life and coeditor of The Collected Writings of Rousseau.

Reviews
"A wide-ranging and thoughtful study of Rousseau as an author who deeply considered the responsibilities of authorship. Kelly's study covers Rousseau's entire corpus with impressive familiarity and insight, offering fresh looks at the thinker's most famous philosophical works and novels, as well as explorations of the very nooks and crannies of his vast oeuvre." - John T. Scott, University of California, Davis



Book Information
ISBN 9780226430249
Author Christopher Kelly
Format Paperback
Page Count 218
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 23mm * 15mm * 1mm