Makers of the Modern Revolution

Order of Service

• Lecture Introduction
• Lecture — Makers of the Modern Revolution: Rousseau and the Romantics (Dr. Carl Trueman)
• Group Discussion
• Scripture Reading — Ephesians 4:17-24
• Benediction / Closing Prayer

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Sermon Title: Rousseau, the Romantics, and the Roots of Expressive Individualism

Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

I. The Inward Turn: The Origins of Expressive Individualism

A. Definition: Expressive individualism is the idea that we are most authentic when we give public expression to our inward feelings B. Historical shift from external to internal identity

1. Medieval identity was defined by external markers — social class, geography, family
2. Modern identity is defined by feelings, psychology, and inner life C. Philosophical precursors
3. René Descartes — "I think, therefore I am"; thought becomes the most certain and foundational reality
4. John Locke — sought certainty by reflecting on how the mind works; both thinkers prioritized inner psychology over the external world D. Application: The transgender moment as a modern example of inner psychological conviction overriding physical, material reality

II. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the Critique of Society

A. Background on Rousseau (1712–1778)

1. Self-taught, multi-talented, deeply influential on Western culture
2. His political thought helped shape the French Revolution; his philosophy of education underlies modern child-centered learning B. Confessions — autobiography as a manifesto of inward authenticity
3. Rousseau's goal: to reveal his inner self exactly as it was in every circumstance of life
4. Established the modern "cult of authenticity" — the ideal that one's outward expression matches one's inward reality
5. Example: Nixon's Watergate tapes versus the modern embrace of crude political speech — authenticity has replaced decorum as the valued ideal C. The First and Second Discourses — society as the corruptor of humanity
6. Rousseau argued that the arts and sciences corrupt rather than purify morals
7. The "noble savage" concept: humanity in a state of nature is instinctively good and empathetic; society introduces competition, inequality, and inauthenticity
8. The Second Discourse (On the Origins of Inequality) — civilization, not human nature, is the source of moral corruption D. Legacy of Rousseau's social critique
9. Child-centered education: the child is fundamentally good; education should remove obstacles to self-expression
10. The cultural intuition that society, not the individual, is to blame for personal problems

III. Romanticism and the Artist as Moral Guide

A. Nature as the source of authentic moral feeling

1. Mary Wollstonecraft — nature is "the nurse of sentiment, the true source of taste"; powerful emotional experiences in nature form moral persons
2. Emotions and sentiments, not reason or society, shape moral character B. William Wordsworth and the role of the poet
3. Poetry can recreate the emotional impact of nature for those who cannot experience it directly
4. Rural and simple subjects (e.g., The Idiot Boy) reveal humanity at its most genuine and unfiltered C. The artist as the key cultural figure
5. The artist connects people to nature and to who they "really are"
6. Modern entertainment — film, music, television — shapes moral intuitions by appealing to passion rather than reason
7. This is Rousseau's and the Romantics' enduring legacy in contemporary culture D. The unresolved problem: what happens when nature itself has no meaning?
8. If passions are just passions with no objective moral standard, what becomes of ethics?
9. This crisis sets the stage for Marx and Nietzsche (subsequent lectures)

IV. Christian Response

A. Ephesians 4:17-24 — the contrast between the world's inward turn and the Christian call

1. The Gentiles walk in the futility of their minds, darkened in understanding, alienated from God
2. Christians are called to put off the old self, be renewed in the spirit of their minds, and put on the new self created in true righteousness and holiness B. The biblical view of human nature refutes Rousseau
3. Looking inward reveals depravity, not authentic goodness (cf. Romans 1)
4. Rousseau's "noble savage" contradicts the doctrine of total depravity; society restrains sin rather than creating it C. The Christian self is not individualistic but corporate
5. Salvation incorporates believers into the body of Christ; the call is to die to self, not express self
6. Contrast with Paul: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ" — ethical teaching is inseparable from godly conduct D. Practical application
7. Christians must be discerning consumers of media and entertainment, recognizing these as primary vehicles for Rousseau's ideas
8. The goal in engaging a culture captivated by expressive individualism is to redirect eyes from self to Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life