Every animal has ideas, since it has senses; it even combines those ideas in a certain degree; and it is only in degree that man differs, in this respect, from the brute. Some philosophers have even maintained that there is a greater difference between one man and another than between some men and some beasts. It is not, therefore, so much the understanding that constitutes the specific difference between the man and the brute, as the human quality of free-agency. Nature lays her commands on every animal, and the brute obeys her voice. Man receives the same impulsion, but at the same time knows himself at liberty to acquiesce or resist: and it is particularly in his consciousness of this liberty that the spirituality of his soul is displayed. For physics may explain, in some measure, the mechanism of the senses and the formation of ideas; but in the power of willing or rather of choosing, and in the feeling of this power, nothing is to be found but acts which are purely spiritual and wholly inexplicable by the laws of mechanism.

Whatever moralists may hold, the human understanding is greatly indebted to the passions, which, it is universally allowed, are also much indebted to the understanding. It is by the activity of the passions that our reason is improved; for we desire knowledge only because we wish to enjoy; and it is impossible to conceive any reason why a person who has neither fears nor desires should give himself the trouble of reasoning. The passions, again, originate in our wants, and their progress depends on that of our knowledge; for we cannot desire or fear anything, except from the idea we have of it, or from the simple impulse of nature. Now savage man, being destitute of every species of intelligence, can have no passions save those of the latter kind: his desires never go beyond his physical wants. The only goods he recognizes in the universe are food, a female, and sleep: the only evils he fears are pain and hunger. I say pain, and not death: for no animal can know what it is to die; the knowledge of death and its terrors being one of the first acquisitions made by man in departing from an animal state.

After reading through Rousseau's piece these two paragraphs stuck out to me the most. I found it interesting how Rousseau compares man and animal. In his more sophisticated use of words Rousseau is basically saying the only difference that lies between an animal and a man is the way in which they deal with their ideas and/or impulses (which are ultimately the same). Humans reason and choose, and the passion they hold backs the reasoning and choices they make. If they did not do these things they would be a "savage man" only revolving their life around physical wants/needs like food, sleep, and a mate the same as an animal does. The sentence that really struck me was the last of these two paragraphs I have posted, "... for no animal can know what it is to die; the knowledge of death and its terrors being one of the first acquisitions made by man in departing from an animal state." This is something I have never considered about the way man works. Death seems to mean something so much greater to a man than to the common animal. The process of dying and what happens afterwards is a complex idea in mans mind, it is something that many find terrifying and that others are content with. I feel that the way we see death changes the way we live our lives.

I would like to compare the the views that Rosseau holds to a scene from the Avatar film. The scene I have chosen includes the joining/mating/sexual relations/choosing of Jake and Neytiri beneath the tree of voices. I chose this scene because I think it shows one very simple aspect of how humans differ from animals, being in love and/or having a relationship with another. (Now I know in this film these characters are not actually humans but the Na'vi people, overall though what I am going to say applies to both.) I know all of us have watched Avatar but I will give you the recap of the scene anyways- Neytiri brings Jake to the tree of voices where they bond with the tree. She then tells Jake he is now able to choose a woman to be with. Neytiri then goes through a list of women and lists their strengths. Jake then tells her that he has already chosen a woman, but she must chose him as well (stating that he has chosen her). Neytiri then tells him she has chosen him too. They then sleep together or mate, make love which ever you want to call it. To beat around the bush they are telling each other that they love one another, they have feelings towards one another and they want to be with one another.

Every animal along with man knows the feeling of attraction towards another of their kind. Animals take this thought and turn it into the want of mating with that other. Well I am sure many people out there may want to just have a sexual interaction but usually they want to get to know this one that they are attracted to. They want to bond, form a relationship. Man seems to want more when he is attracted to another then an animal does. This is shown in the scene from Avatar. Humans chose who they want to be with. They chose to want to create a relationship and that bond. It is not just a mere physical want. Man understands why he feels the way he does. He is able to reason those feelings of attraction and sort out what they mean. Animals do not question their impulses.