Rousseau's Politics of Taste.

This article focuses on a scholarly analysis of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s political theory through the lens of Epicureanism, as presented in Jared Holley’s book. Holley situates Rousseau within the eighteenth-century intellectual context, arguing that Rousseau’s concept of the "general taste" complements the "general will" and is central to his theory of republican citizenship in commercial societies. The book traces the influence of Epicurean ideas—characterized by debates over hedonism, sociability, and atheism—on Rousseau and his contemporaries, highlighting how refined Epicureanism fosters civic virtue by aligning aesthetic and political judgment. Holley’s interpretation challenges ahistorical readings of Rousseau and emphasizes the coherence of his philosophical system grounded in the politics of taste.