Persuading without convincing

Remarks on the Legislator's language in The social contract

Abstract

The present paper intends to clarify the conceptual distinction between persuading (persuader) and convincing (convaincre) brought forth by Rousseau, among other passages, in the chapter of The social contract dedicated to the Legislator, in which is said that the latter should “win over without violence and persuade without convincing”. It is our contention that in order to do so we must turn to the Essay on the origin of languages, where persuasion and convincement are reported, respectively, to two different forms of language: the first predominantly accentuated and passionate (hence its capacity to lead to action), the second marked by its clarity and designative precision (a reflected language directed to the audience’s reason). In casting light to the aforementioned opposition, we hope to provide some supports to the comprehension of the nature of the language of Rousseau’s Legislator, as well as to the effects aimed by this language.