natural —escribe— estuviera escrita solo en las tablas de la razón humana, sería incapaz de guiar la mayor parte de nuestras acciones; pero también está grabada en el corazón del hombre con caracteres que no pueden borrarse, y es ahí donde le habla con más fuerza que todos los preceptos de los filósofos» (de un ensayo inacabado sobre «El estado de guerra»).
The nature of this guiding sentiment is explained in the “ Discourse on Inequality ” ( p. 197, note 2), where egoism ( amour-propre ) is contrasted with self-respect ( amour de soi ).
Naturally, Rousseau holds, man does not want everything for himself, and nothing for others.
- “Egoism” and “altruism” are both one-sided qualities arising out of the perversion of man’s “natural goodness.”
- “Man is born good,” that is, man’s nature really makes him desire only to be treated as one among others, to share equally.
This natural love of equality ( amour de soi ) includes love of others as well as love of self, and egoism, loving one’s self at the expense of others, is an unnatural and perverted condition.