Mass Enlightenment: Critical Studies in Rousseau and DiderotMass Enlightenment uncovers the tensions and contradictions associated with the rise of capitalism and mass culture as they were already making themselves felt during the second half of the eighteenth century and shows that the works of Rousseau and Diderot display a manifest awareness of the negative side of "enlightenment" and "progress." Simon explores the themes of individual freedom and moral autonomy, the growth of a consumer market, alienated social relations, the split between the public and private spheres, and the appearance of commodification as they are articulated in the writings of Rousseau and Diderot. Her careful readings of these Enlightenment theorists expose concerns over the crisis tendencies associated with capitalism and a consumer market similar to those diagnosed by the writers of the Frankfurt School. |
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aesthetic alienation amour de soi analysis appearance argue attempt autobiography bourgeois ideology bourgeois individual bourgeois public sphere bourgeoisie capitalism capitalist chapter cites citizens commodification commodity concerning connoisseurs consciousness consumption context Corsica critical critique d'Alembert Dialectic of Enlightenment dialogue Diderot's text discussion domination economic effects eighteenth century Elizabeth Eisenstein Encyclopédie entails epistemology ethical fascist France Frankfurt School French Habermas Habermas's Hegel hermeneutic highlights historical Horkheimer and Adorno ideal identity insight interest interpretation Jean-Jacques Rousseau judgment Kant knowledge maintains Marx mass culture mediated ment metaphor moral nature Negative Dialectics nonetheless object paintings paradoxical particular Phenomenology philosopher pity Poland political theory Pomian position private sphere problem public realm public sphere question Rameau's Nephew rational reading reason representation represents Rousseau and Diderot Rousseau's conception Salons Second Discourse sense Social Contract society specifically suggests taste tion totalitarian Trans translation altered ultimately University Press wealth Weber writes