ROUSSEAU - MIND

<BODY> <CENTER><FONT SIZE=5><B><FONT SIZE=6>ROUSSEAU</FONT><BR> HISTORIAN OF THE HEART</B></FONT></CENTER><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>Mind over Matter</B></FONT><P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>AMOUR DE SOI</B></FONT><BR> To Rousseau, the major driving force behind every individual's existence is "amour de soi" or self-love. This, he claims, is the child's first instinct. The second, which derives from the first through recognition of their importance for his well-being, is to love those who are close to him. Properly directed by reason and modified by pity, this expansive impulse can extend more generally to his fellow man and so lead to virtue and social harmony. The nurturing of this instinct is an important part of the ideal education as outlined in "Emile". The young Emile is allowed to learn through observation and sensation, through reflection and imagination, rather than by absorbing accepted knowledge of others.<P> <FONT SIZE=4><B>AMOUR-PROPRE</B></FONT><BR> "Amour de soi", self-love, is a better basis for human relations than "amour-propre", or propriety. Amour-propre amounts to a sort of self-pride, deriving not from self but from false reflection, from the habit of seeing oneself through others' eyes. Self love can lead to genuine concern for others where propriety leads to concern only for the opinion of others and encourages every individual to attach more importance to himself than to others. <BR clear=left><BR> <HR width=100%> <A HREF="http://www.creatorix.com.au"><IMG SRC="../creatorix.gif" WIDTH="85" HEIGHT="40" BORDER="0" ALT="Creatorix" align=right></A> </BODY>