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- James Leane
James
Leane
Amour propre
“Man was born free, but everywhere he is in chains” – Jean – Jacques Rousseau
Natural man is physically free because he is not constrained by a repressive state apparatus or dominated by his fellow man. Second, he is psychologically and spiritually free because he is not enslaved to any of the artificial needs that characterise modern society. Rousseau believed modern mans enslavement to his own needs was responsible for all sorts of societal ills, from exploitation and domination of others to poor self-esteem and depression.
In a state of nature man has two innate impulses:
- Self- preservation (Amour de soi – Love of self)
- Pity or a repugnance towards seeing suffering in others.
When man enters society this “amour de soi” transforms itself into “Amour propre” which is a sense of his own self-worth. This stems from man learning from others but simultaneously comparing himself to them, which diminishes his pity for others. Modern society is defined by “Amour propre” to the detriment of man and so everywhere he is in chains comparing himself to others.
My work then is based around this idea of “amour propre”. Exploring how mans greed has superseded his natural compassion for others around him. Subject matter is gathered from instances of corporate greed where profit holds more value then human life.