Status of the Translations

Most of Rousseau's writings were t~anslated in English

shortly after their publication in French, and 18th century

translations are available of almost all the texts included

in this selection. In many cases, I intend to update and

revise these translations and use them as the basis of the

edition, thus saving permission costs. Only when a modern

translation exists that is truly outstanding will permissiOn

be requested. The breakdown of the translation status, with

reference to the Table of Contents, is as follows:

1,1 and 1,2

a. Miscellaneous works of Rousseau, trans. W. Kenrick,

Becket and de Bondt, London, 1767.

b. Social Contract and Discourses, Dutton ,- Dent,

l Everyman\ (1950)

I plan to use (b) only if the permission rights are low;

the 18th century translation is good and easy to update.

1,3 Never published in English. New translation

1,4 a. A Treatise on the Social Compact, Becket and de Bondt,

London, 1764

b. An Enquiry into the Nature of the Social Contract,

Robinson, 1791.

c. The Social Contract, adapted from 18th century versions

by E . Rrankel, Hafner Publishers, New York 1947

Op tional Tables of Contents

(1) The optimal t able numbers nearly 95 0 pages in the

regular format of the Viking Portables and is too long.

The least damaging emendation would be achieved by dropping

the Letter d'Alembert on the Theater (160 pages) and replacing

it by the brief essay On Theatrical Imitation (10 pages ).

This would reduce the book to 800 pages, still one of the

longer among the Portables , but this size seems more than

warranted by the complexity and variety . of Rousseau's work.

(2) If 800 pages is still considered too long, one would

have to drop The Social Contract and thus reduce . the text

to 650 pages. I am very reluctant to recommend this, for

~le Social Contract remains one of the most read of Rousseau's

texts, especially in an academic market. Whereas several

Rousseau texts have not been retranslated since the 18th

century, three new English translations of The Social Contract

have appeared since 1947. This indicates a constant demand

for this text in college courses. The edition would be

considera hly strengthened, intellectually and commercially,

by the inclusion of The Social Contract. The original text

is ~ighly condensed and cannot be abridged.

1,4 d. The Social Contract and Discourses, s~e 1,2 b

e. The Social Contract, trans. by W. Kendall (Chigago:

Regnery, 1954)

My preference goes to (c), which ought to be inexpensive.

1,5 a. works, ed. Becket (Vol III), 1767)

b. Politics and the A~o ts: Letter to d'Alembert on the

Theatre, Allan Bloom ed., Glencoe, Ill: Free Press,

1960

If the text were included, I' d use (a). Alternate text:

On Theatrical Imitation in J-J Rousseau Miscellaneous

Works, vol III, Becket, London, 1767.

I,6 No English version. New translation.

1,7 J-J Rousseau Miscellaneous Wo~ks, vol II, 1767.

l,B No English version, New ~ranslation.

11,1 English version from 1779 (Kearsley, London)

11,2 a. Eloisa, or a Series of Original Letters, collected

and published by J-J Rousseau in 4 vol~mes, t ranslaoted

by William Kenrick, Dublin, 1961.

b. Julie or the New Eloisa, Trans. and abridged by

Judith H. McDowell (Penn State Uni versity Press, 19501)

I plan to use an updated version of (a).

II,3 a. Emilius and Sophia: or a New System of Education,

trans. by W. Kenrick, Becket and de Hondt, 1762

b. Emile, trans. by Barbara Foxley, Dent-Dutton (Everyman)

1963.

11,3 I plan to use (b) provided it is not prohibitive.

111,1 No English version. New translation

111,2 J-J Rousseau Miscellaneous Works, Becket (Longon , 1767),

New translation

111,3 a. The Confessions of J-J Rousseau with the Reveries

of the Solitary Walker, Part I, London~ J. Bew, 1783;

Part II in 1790.

b. The Confessions, trans. by John Grant, Dutton-Dent

(Everyman), 1904.

The 20th century edition is · public domain and could be used.

III,4.a. see 111,3 a

b. Reveries of a Solitary, trans. by J. Gould Fletcher

(London, Routledge, 1927).

I plan to update the 18th century edition .

Summary: Of the fifteen entries, 6 are new translations,

4 are updated versions of 18th century translations, 1 is

public domain, and 4 (2 Discourses , Social Contract, Emile)

can be the modern versions if the total permission rights

remain below $500. Permission rights belong to Dutton-Dent

(2 Discourses, Emile) and Hafner Publishers (Social Contract).