On Imposture: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Literary Lies, and Political Fiction by Serge Margel (review)

Reviewed by: On Imposture: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Literary Lies, and Political Fiction by Serge Margel Khadija Khalifé Margel, Serge. On Imposture: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Literary Lies, and Political Fiction. Trans. Eva Yampolsky. Indiana UP, 2023. ISBN 978-0-253-06530-8. Pp. xi + 75. In our rushed daily life in which we feel alienated from one another, workshops and seminars often invite us to reconnect with our inner selves through mindfulness practices. It's indeed beneficial to pause and reflect on our place in the world. Centuries ago, Jean-Jacques Rousseau warned us about the dangers of losing our individuality and freedom to societal institutions. Serge Margel, in his analyses of Rousseau's Collected Writings and literary works (particularly The Social Contract, Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality among Men, Discourse on Political Economy, Émile, Confessions, Rêveries, Rousseau, Judge of Jean-Jacques) explores the relationship, as per Rousseau's perspective, between the natural man (nature) and the societal man (culture). Readers may be familiar with Rousseau's central thesis that man is inherently good, but has been corrupted by civilization, and that the root of inequality lies in the actions of "imposters," personified by the figure of the legislator who establishes political rules. However, Serge Margel's merit lies in his expansion of the concept of "imposture" within civil society, as perceived by Rousseau, to include another significant figure: the reader, who interprets literature. Both figures, the legislator and the reader, use language to validate their "impostures." First, Margel illustrates Rousseau's dialectical connection between falsehood and truth through Rousseau's well-known account of the stolen ribbon as narrated in his Confessions. The author demonstrates how Rousseau interprets his own actions with the subtle paradox "of his innocence from the lie" (17), while leaving the reader as a mere witness. Then, Margel analyzes the dialectical process involving nature and reason, as reason subverts the natural order to reestablish new rules. Margel reexamines the "fatal accident" (40)—the emergence of the "right to property"—that severed ties with the state of nature, ultimately resulting in disasters for both the individual and society (40). The author explores Rousseau's argument about how individuals willingly sacrificed their own freedom "for collective survival" (40–45), further institutionalizing and consolidating the new political entity. One crucial point made by the author is that Rousseau does not advocate "for a return to the state of nature," but rather to "the conditions of a return of nature" (40), made feasible by human perfectibility (41), as nature remains an intrinsic part of the human heart (41). In the "Foreword," Peggy Kamuf highlights a certain lucidity in Rousseau's published works despite his reputation for madness (vii). His philosophy intimately reflects his personal life and experiences. In fact, Rousseau did not hesitate to denounce the dogmatic Christian religion (50) and resisted any influence that would compromise his state of nature. His writings even resulted in his arrest and subsequent escape from Paris in June 1762 (51). End Page 190 Margel underscores the transformation in Rousseau's mindset from his Confessions to Rêveries, where he achieved a profound harmony with nature. In today's world, one can't help but wonder what Rousseau would say about the role of social media in our lives, which further deepens our detachment from our inner selves. End Page 191 Khadija Khalifé Independent Scholar (CA) Copyright © 2024 American Association of Teachers of French