Letter to M. d'Alembert on Spectacles (French: Lettre à M. d'Alembert sur les spectacles) is a 1758 essay written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in opposition to an article published in the Encyclopédie by Jean d'Alembert that proposed the establishment of a theatre in Geneva. More generally, it is a critical analysis of the effects of culture on morals, that clarifies the links between politics and social life.[1] Rousseau relates the issue of a theatre in Geneva to the broader social context, warning of the potential the theatre has to corrupt the morality in society.[2]
The Letter is considered to be highly personally relevant to Rousseau, whose patriotism and affinity for Geneva shows through as he writes to defend his country from moral decay. By focusing on his belief in the natural order and harmony of traditional sex roles and community, Rousseau writes to convince d'Alembert, and the public of Geneva, that a theatre is a threat to an ideal, natural way of life.[3]
- ^ Fermon, Nicole (1997). Domesticating Passions: Rousseau, Woman, and Nation. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 978-0-8195-6305-7.
- ^ Dent, Nicholas (1992). A Rousseau Dictionary. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. ISBN 978-0-631-17569-8.
- ^ Grimsley, Ronald (1983). Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Sussex: The Harvester Press. ISBN 978-0-389-20378-0.