Between "Difference" and "Inequality"

The Transversality of the Equality Rousseau’s Concept

Abstract

Our proposal in this article is to try to show that, in J.-J. Rousseau, there is an important distinction between the ideas of difference and inequality. In this sense, we will expose that, within the scope of Rousseau's thought, the distinction between these two terms becomes relevant to explain the contrasts regarding both the configuration of the state of nature and the civil state. In addition, we will show that when dealing with this dissimilarity (difference / inequality), we are also orienting ourselves by the idea of equality. In summary, our main objective is to present the transversality of the concept of equality in Rousseau, in order to show that this notion operates strongly in the bulge of the author's reflections on the discrepancy between what is linked to the natural order and what concerns to the perspective of a well-ordered society.