How long does it take to read Discourse on the Origin of Inequality?
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality by Jean-Jacques Rousseau takes about 3 hours 26 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 3 hours 26 minutes
A weekend read
First published 1922. 187 pages, about 51,425 words.
7 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 5 hours 43 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 3 hours 26 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 2 hours 9 minutes |
The page count is the median across 27 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
In his Discourses (1755), Rousseau argues that inequalities of rank, wealth and power are the inevitable result of the civilising process. If inequality is intolerable - and Rousseau shows with unparalledled eloquence how it robs us not only of our material but also of our psychological independence - then how can we recover the peaceful self-sufficiency of life in the state of nature? We cannot return to a simpler time, but measuring the costs of progress may help us to imagine alternatives to the corruption and oppressive conformity of modern society. Rousseau's sweeping account of humanity's social and political development epitomises the innovative boldness of the Englightment, and it is one of the most provocative and influential works of the 18th century.
Subjects: Criticism and interpretation, Droit naturel, Equality, Histoire, Inégalité, Natural law
