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In "Beautiful music and logical warts", I quoted (part of) the trollish conclusion of Rousseau's Lettre sur la Musique Française:

Je crois avoir fait voir qu’il n’y a ni mesure ni mélodie dans la musique française, parce que la langue n’en est pas susceptible ; que le chant français n’est qu’un aboiement continuel, insupportable à toute oreille non prévenue; que l’harmonie en est brute, sans expression, et sentant uniquement son remplissage d'écolier ; que les airs français ne sont point des airs ; que le récitatif français n’est point du récitatif. D’où je conclus que les Français n’ont point de musique et n’en peuvent avoir, ou que, si jamais ils en ont une, ce sera tant pis pour eux.

I believe I have shown that there is neither rhythm nor melody in French music, because the language is not capable of them; that French song is only a continual barking, unbearable to any unbiased ear; that the harmony is crude, without expression, and full of childish padding; that French airs are not airs; that French recitative is not recitative. From which I conclude that the French have no music and never will have any, or that, if ever they have some, it will be a disappointment for them.

There are some interesting issues behind Rousseau's argument that the prosody of the French language makes French music impossible — but more on that later. Struck by his evident trollishness, I asked Google "was Jean Jacques Rousseau an asshole?", and got this reply:

• Abandoning his Children: Perhaps the most glaring example cited is his abandonment of all five of his children (fathered with Thérèse Levasseur) to an orphanage, a practice he acknowledged in his Confessions. Given the extremely high mortality rates in such institutions during the 18th century, this was tantamount to a death sentence for his children. This act stands in stark contrast to his influential writings on education and the importance of family, particularly in works like "Emile, or On Education," leading to accusations of profound hypocrisy.
• Difficult Relationships and Paranoia: Rousseau was known for his volatile and difficult relationships with friends and fellow Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire, Diderot, and David Hume. He was prone to paranoia, suspecting plots and betrayals, even from those who had offered him hospitality and support, like Hume.
• Self-Centeredness and Arrogance: Some interpretations of his personality suggest he was highly self-centered and driven by a need for admiration and recognition. Despite criticizing societal corruption, he seemed to indulge in the pursuit of fame and status.
• Misogynistic Views: Rousseau's views on women are considered highly problematic and misogynistic by modern standards. He viewed women as less rational and primarily destined for domestic roles, to be pleasing and subservient to men, according to ThoughtCo. This perspective was criticized even by some of his contemporaries, such as Mary Wollstonecraft.

• Context of the Era: Some argue that his actions and views, particularly regarding women, were largely a product of the societal norms and expectations of the 18th century, according to WordPress.com.
• Introspective Nature and Self-Critique: Rousseau was remarkably introspective and openly discussed his flaws and contradictions in his autobiographical works like "Confessions". This willingness to expose his own failings provides a degree of nuance to the picture.
• Influence of His Ideas: Despite his personal flaws, Rousseau's ideas on politics, education, and human nature have been profoundly influential and continue to be studied and debated.

No doubt most of this is copied in large chunks from stuff online, though I haven't verified the extent of direct plagiarism. And there are some problems, like the attribution of Lesley Kucharski's essay to "WordPress.com", and the false interpretation of her discussion as excusing Rousseau's misogeny rather than condemning it.

Still, fair is fair — Gemini could have done a lot worse.

July 11, 2025 @ 3:38 pm · Filed by Mark Liberman under Artificial intelligence

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