<i>Amour-Propre</i> According to Rousseau: On the Shortcomings of the Prevailing Consensus

Rousseau’s concept amour-propre has become the subject of renewed debates. Inspired by Nicholas Dent’s reinterpretation of the term, it is now a widespread view that amour-propre is a positive phenomenon in Rousseau’s moral philosophy, a longing for equal recognition rather than an urge to dominate everybody else. The present article challenges this reading. It does so by going back to Dent’s 1988 work on Rousseau to question the textual evidence for his interpretation. It also challenges the compatibility of Dent’s views with Rousseau’s moral psychology in general. Finally, the article offers an alternative solution to the problem of social life in Rousseau’s philosophy.