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'these Hours Of Solitude And Meditation Are The Only Time Of The Day When I Am Completely Myself' Reveries Of The Solitary Walker Is Rousseau's Last Great Work, The Product Of His Final Years Of Exile From The Society That Condemned His Political And Religious Views. Returning To Paris The Philosopher Determines To Keep A Faithful Record Of The Thoughts And Ideas That Come To Him On His Perambulations. Part Reminiscence, Part Reflection, Enlivened By Anecdote And Encounters, The Reveries Form A Kind Of Sequel To His Confessions, But They Are More Introspective And Less Defensive: Rousseau Finds Happiness In Solitude, Walks In Nature, Botanizing, And Meditation. Writing An Account Of His Walks Becomes A Means Of Achieving Self-knowledge And Safeguarding For Himself The Pleasure That Others, He Is Convinced, Seek To Deny Him. The Reveries, Shaped By The Unmediated Nature Of Rousseau's Thought Processes, Give Powerfully Lyrical Expression To A Painfully Tortured Soul In Search Of Peace. This New Translation Is Accompanied By An Introduction And Notes That Explore The Nature Of The Work And Its Historical, Literary, And Intellectual Contexts. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
How can an individual achieve authentic self-knowledge and inner peace while living in total isolation from a society that has rejected them? Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a prominent Enlightenment philosopher, composes this work during his final years of exile. He utilizes his daily perambulations through nature as a framework to document his internal state, moving away from the defensive posture of his earlier autobiographical writings toward a more contemplative and introspective analysis of his own consciousness.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars frequently identify this work as a foundational text for understanding the transition from Enlightenment rationalism to the subjective focus of Romanticism. Readers often note the lyrical quality of the prose and the stark contrast between the author's public reputation and his private, meditative search for tranquility.
Page Count:
160
Publication Date:
2011-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191617679
ISBN-13:
9780191617676
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