Quotation by

Terry Eagleton

It is in Rousseau's writing above all that history begins to turn from upper-class honour to middle-class humanitarianism. Pity, sympathy and compassion lie at the centre of his moral vision. Values associated with the feminine begin to infiltrate social

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Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Terry Eagleton argues that Rousseau's work marks a shift in historical focus from the pride and status of the wealthy to the care and concern typical of the middle class. This change brings qualities often linked to women, like kindness and empathy, into the core of how society views morality.

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The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.