St. John’s Summer Academy (Annapolis): Equality and Inequality

In his Discourse on the Origins of Inequality, Rousseau argues that some inequalities—like strength—are naturally given, and we have little control over them, while other inequalities—like property—originate with us. With Rousseau we will ask: how do these second kinds of inequalities come about? And can they be justified? Through the speeches of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, we’ll examine one particularly formative example of inequality in America: slavery. We’ll also examine Archimedes’ penetrating and marvelous analysis of “the law of the lever.” Under his guidance, supplemented by our own observations and experiments, we’ll explore how equality and inequality are at work as bodies come to equilibrium.