Self-love ambiguity and virtuous will-formation

Abstract

The paper concerns the problem of the human condition in Rousseau. The feeling of love for the self, double constituted by the amour de soi and amour propre, is taken as the core question ‘who is the human being?’. It analyzes two standard interpretations of the theme: Iring Fetscher’s position, highlighting only the negative variant of amour propre and Frederick Neuhouser’s recent interpretation that also attaches to amour propre a constructive force. If the possibility of hateful and irascible passions is inherent in the human condition, it can also be dominated by tender and amorous passions. The essay argues that even though not everything is decided in the educational field, the type of education offered in childhood demands great importance in the adult’s moral education. On one side, it can encourage a way of more based on malicious and selfish passions or on the other side, loving and supportive action.