Record Number: 20965
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'This violence [of Dr Johnson against Rousseau] seemed very strange to me, who had read many of Rousseau's animated writings with great pleasure, and even edification; had been much pleased with his society, and was just come from the Continent, where he was very generally admired. Nor can I yet allow that he deserves the very severe censure which Johnson pronounced upon him. His absurd preference of savage to civilized life and other singularities are proofs rather of a defect in his understanding than of any depravity in his heart. And notwithstanding the unfavourable opinion which many worthy men have expressed of his "Profession de Foi du Vicaire Savoyard," I cannot help admiring it as the performance of a man full of sincere reverential submission to Divine Mystery, though beset with perplexing doubts: a state of mind to be viewed with pity rather than with anger.'
Century:1700-1799
Date:Until: 15 Feb 1766
Country:n/a
Timen/a
Place:n/a
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:29 Oct 1740
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:lawyer and writer
Religion:n/a
Country of Origin:Scotland
Country of Experience:n/a
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Discourse on Inequality
Genre:Philosophy
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:20965
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R.C. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:359
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.C. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 359, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=20965, accessed: 22 November 2024
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791. It seems likely that Boswell is referring to this in his comments on civilised and savage.
