This week Ke Xia will present her paper ' Dependence, self-sufficiency, and solidarity: Rethinking Rousseau’s critique of the division of labour'.

Abstract:

In the Second Discourse, Rousseau views the emergence of the division of labour as a decisive moment in human history that puts an end to the equal and free natural state. Before Marx, Rousseau is regarded as one of the most famous critics of the division of labour for increasing economic inequality and creating interpersonal dependence. This paper tries to provide a novel reading of Rousseau’s understanding of the division of labour. I argue that Rousseau’s criticism of the modern way of living does not prevent him from endorsing the division of labour as a necessary institution in modern society. The division of labour is necessary both in the private realm and public realm of a Rousseauian state. A well-running society requires a sense of solidarity and codependence generated through the division of labour which links each citizen together.