Discours sur les sciences et les arts

Discours sur les sciences et les arts is a 1750 essay by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, written for the Dijon Academy competition. In this work, Rousseau critiques the impact of the sciences and arts on morality, arguing that they corrupt rather than elevate human virtue. This essay gained him significant recognition and laid the groundwork for his later works, including Du contrat social. It is notable for its early exploration of the relationship between culture and ethics.