ROUSSEAU AND THE MELODIOUS LANGUAGE OF FREEDOM

Although known primarily as a political thinker, Rousseau was also a m usician and a musical theorist. In his writings on music and language, Rousseau develops a theory of the natural basis of culture and cultur al variability This theory centers on humans' ability to recognize the passions communicated by members of their community and explains the variability of those passions and of their expression in different com munities. Underlying both the community and the communication of its m embers is an affective cultural base of shared passions, customs, and mores. For Rousseau, the model of a legitimate political community is a place where the citizens enjoy the immediate and unanimous communica tion of their common will. Rousseau's writings on music and language e xplain the affective foundations of the community and bring to light t he musicolinguistic requirements for the creation and maintenance of a free community.