J J Rousseau: An Afterlife of Words

173 Pages·2004·0.56 MB·English

by  Eli Friedlander

J. J. Rousseau:
An Afterlife of Words

J. J. ROUSSEAU:
AN AFTERLIFE OF WORDS
-
eli friedlander
-
HarvardUniversityPress
Cambridge,Massachussetts
London,England
2004
Copyright©2004bythePresidentand
FellowsofHarvardCollege
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Friedlander,Eli.
J.J.Rousseau : anafterlifeofwords / EliFriedlander.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-674-01514-2(alk.paper)
1.Rousseau,Jean-Jacques,1712–1778.Rêveriesdu
promeneursolitaire. I.Title:J.J.Rousseau. II.Title.
PQ2040.R53F75 2004
848′.509—dc22 2004047387
ToOmer,toElam,toMichal

Acknowledgments
My initial impulse to write on Rousseau’s Reveries of the Solitary
Walkerwasoccasionedbythepreparationofalectureforaconfer-
enceentitled“AcknowledgingStanleyCavell.”Thetopicofmylec-
ture was in part decided by finding Rousseau’s Reveries among a
listofworksCavellreferstoasspanningthedimensionsoftheout-
look he calls Moral Perfectionism. That discovery only reinforced
my growing sense that Cavell’s writings provided an entry into
Rousseau’stextandgavemewordstoformulatemyhithertosome-
what speechless attachment to the Reveries. Cavell’s investment in
my interest in Rousseau goes back to his care in advising my doc-
toraldissertation.Inwritingthepresentbook,someyearslater,Ire-
alizedtheinnerlifeofthemanyconversationswehavehad,feeling
drawntorespondtohim,tohavemywritingaddresshis.Whereas
myworkonRousseau’sReveriesisnowatanend,myindebtedness
to Stanley Cavell is only partially recorded in remarks throughout
thetext.ForIhavenodoubtthatheispresentinthisbookevenbe-
yond what I have purposely left implicit, giving me hope that fur-
theroccasionsformanifestingmygratitudewillpresentthemselves.
Lindsay Waters has proved to be, once again, a unique editor in
his involvement, support, and intense interest in an uncommon
project.AyearspentatPrincetonUniversityhasgivenmethepre-
cious time and the perfect environment to complete the writing.
viii (cid:127) Acknowledgments
Several friends have read my manuscript, others have been inspir-
ing, supportive, and loving while I was writing it. I single here,
amongmanyothers,HagiKenaan,IdoGeiger,CarolynAbbate,Lee
Mitchell,aswellasmyparentsHagithandSaulFriedlander.
Reflections of mine often found an echo in Michal Grover-
Friedlander’s thinking on the apparitions of the operatic voice on
screen. Our paths met at times in inspiring conversations, other
times almost coincidentally, intimating, in those ways as well, the
commongroundwehavechosenforourdwellingtogether.Isome-
timesimaginethatourchildrenwillpickupthisbookinthefuture
and enjoy reading it, each in his way. For it is, after all, a book
turned with hope to the future. It is to Michal, to Elam, and to
Omer,thatIdedicateitwithlove.
Contents
Introduction:ExcessiveMeasures 1
1 “HereIAmThen” 9
2 FromtheNatureofExistencetotheExistence
ofNature 19
3 Space,Time,Motion,andRest 30
4 ASingularTruth 42
5 TheDimensionsofaPlace 52
6 GivingWaytoInclination 61
7 LeavesofMemory 75
8 CirclesofDestiny 85
9 ExposingTheater 95
10 AfterWords 106
Notes 113
WorksCited 153
Index 157