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Throughout the essay, the primitive or “savage” man symbolizes humanity in its purest and most natural state, untainted by civilization’s influence. Rousseau depicts this figure as independent, self-sufficient, and living in harmony with nature. The primitive man represents the ideal of moral innocence and equality, untouched by the corrupting forces of property, ambition, or social hierarchies. Unlike modern humans, who are driven by competition and societal expectations, the primitive man possesses simple needs and desires, relying on instinct and necessity rather than artificial constructs. For Rousseau, the primitive man is not merely an archetype but a lens through which to critique contemporary society. This figure symbolizes the potential for human goodness when external pressures have yet to corrupt it. The primitive man’s existence highlights the stark contrast between the freedom of humanity’s natural state and the constraints of modern civilization. By idealizing the primitive man, Rousseau challenges the Enlightenment belief in progress and suggests that the development of society hasn’t improved humanity and has instead led to inequality and moral decline.
The Primitive or “Savage” Man Quotes in Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
The Discourse on the Origin of Inequality quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Primitive or “Savage” Man. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Preface
Quotes
Of all the branches of human knowledge, the most useful and the least advanced seems to me to be that of man; and I dare say that the inscription on the temple at Delphi alone contained a precept more important and more difficult than all the huge tomes of the moralists. Thus I regard the subject of this discourse as one of the most interesting questions that philosophy is capable of proposing, and unhappily for us, one of the thorniest that philosophers can attempt to resolve. For how can the source of the inequality among men be known unless one begins knowing men themselves? And how will man be successful in seeing himself as nature formed him, through all the changes that the succession of time and things must have produced in his original constitution […] ?
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Part 1
Quotes
Since the savage man’s body is the only instrument he knows, he employs it for a variety of purposes that, for lack of practice, ours are incapable of serving. And our industry deprives us of the force and agility that necessity obliges him to acquire. If he had had an axe, would his wrists break such strong branches? If he had had a sling, would he throw a stone with so much force? […] Give a civilized man time to gather all of his machines around him, and undoubtedly he will easily overcome a savage man. But if you want to see an even more unequal fight, pit them against each other naked and disarmed, and you will soon realize the advantage of constantly having all of one’s forces at one’s disposal, of always being ready for any event, and of always carrying one’s entire self, as it were, with one.
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Above all, let us not conclude with Hobbes that because man has no idea of goodness he is naturally evil […] we could say that savages are not evil precisely because they do not know what it is to be good; for it is neither the development of enlightenment nor the restraint imposed by the law, but the calm of the passions and the ignorance of vice which prevents them from doing evil. So much more profitable to these is the ignorance of vice than the knowledge of virtue is to those.
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The Primitive or “Savage” Man Symbol Timeline in Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Primitive or “Savage” Man appears in Discourse on the Origin of Inequality. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1
...rejecting speculative attempts to reconstruct the physical evolution of humankind. He avoids conjectures about the primitive human form—whether humans once resembled animals, walked on all fours, or were covered in fur—and focuses...
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Stripping primitive humans of all acquired skills, Rousseau envisions them as simple creatures, equipped only with their natural...
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Primitive humans , accustomed to environmental hardships and constant exposure to danger, developed robust physiques through necessity....
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...their bodies for survival. Without tools or machines, they developed extraordinary strength and agility. A primitive human could easily break a branch, throw a stone great distances, climb trees, or flee predators—all...
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...characterized humans in a state of nature as inherently aggressive and warlike. Rousseau counters that primitive humans , though cautious and timid when encountering the unfamiliar, quickly adapted to their environment. Early...
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Natural infirmities, such as infancy, old age, and sickness, presented the most formidable challenges to primitive humans . Rousseau claims that while infancy and old age are universal conditions, sickness is primarily...
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...are products of civilization, where notions of beauty, taste, and exclusivity fuel jealousy and conflict. Primitive humans experienced fewer and less intense passions, leading to a more harmonious existence. Society, by cultivating...
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Primitive humans , living in isolation and lacking the means to communicate abstract ideas, had little capacity...
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