ABSTRACT
Rousseau'sconcern,eveninhisapparentlymosttheoretical reflections,wasexclusivelyconcernedwiththepracticeofpolitics
andpedagogyand,atleastinhislastyears,inthehappyorderingofhisownsolitarylife.Thisisalsowhythequestionofthe a w a k e n i n g o f conscienceandd e v e l o p m e n t t o w a r d v i r t u e was moreimportanttohimthanthesearchforthebestdefinitions oftheseconcepts.ToRousseautheawakeningofconscience seemspossibleonlyatthemomentwhentheabilitytodevelop strongfeelingsisalreadypresentbutnotyetcompletelydeterminedbya m o u r p r o p r e . InE m i l e itisthemomentwhenlove (the" m o r a l d e [ ' a m o u r ' ' ) dawnsintheyouth'sheart.Foran entirecommunitythismomentcanonlycomeatapointintime whenthedevelopmentofthesciencesandartshasnotincreased needstoomuchandgreedhasnotyet"poisoned"allhearts. Societiesthathavemissedthismomentcanbeledbacktothe rightpathbytheskillfulpedagogicmeasuresofalegislator. However,afteracertainpoint,allhopeofsalvationislost.15
