Why Read Rousseau?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Elements of Education: Time, Space, Experience, Other People

Abstract

A feminist look at Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Emile which posits the figure of Sophie as central to the text. The paper argues that by Rousseau's own reasoning, Sophie's subjectivity is significantly undercut by the education she is afforded. This calls into question the figure of Emile, and the way we use the text and its lessons today.

Author

• Holly Brewster, Teachers College, Columbia University