Rousseau's dog : two great thinkers at war in the Age of Enlightenment /
In 1766 Jean-Jacques Rousseau--philosopher, novelist, composer, educational and political provocateur--was on the run from intolerance, persecution, and enemies who decried him as a danger to society. David Hume, the foremost philosopher in the English language, was universally lauded as a paragon o...
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Ecco,
[2006]
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| Edition: | 1st ed. |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Table of contents only |
| Summary: | In 1766 Jean-Jacques Rousseau--philosopher, novelist, composer, educational and political provocateur--was on the run from intolerance, persecution, and enemies who decried him as a danger to society. David Hume, the foremost philosopher in the English language, was universally lauded as a paragon of decency. Putting himself under Hume's protection, Rousseau, with his beloved dog, Sultan, took refuge in England. Yet within months, the exile had accused Hume of plotting to dishonor him. The violence of Hume's response was totally out of character; the resulting furor involved leading figures in British and French society, and became the talk of intellectual Europe. Here, journalists Edmonds and Eidinow probe the bitter and very public quarrel that turned the most influential thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment into the deadliest of foes. The result is a story of celebrity and its price, of shameless spin, of destroyed reputations and shattered friendships.--From publisher description. |
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| Physical Description: | x, 340 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages [315]-324) and index. |
| ISBN: | 0060744901 (hardcover) 9780060744908 (hardcover) |