Video very briefly summarizing the First & Second discourses. I know that it is quick, but if further details are needed feel free to ask me.
Main points:
Rousseau says the first yoke man placed upon himself was the day man said "this is mine", meaning he places the blame on the institution of private property. The reason of this is because this began the state of superflous needs, the desire to want the unnecessary, then from establishment of private property came laws which suppress man and the spiral continuities.
He goes on to say that man has freedom in his natural state, and while he may not been able to philosophize or communicate in abstract notions, he was free of inequalities because for inequalities to exist there must be outside notions enforcing them. Man cannot be bad if such a notion does not exist.
(Rousseau on the modern idea of Animal rights: While he uses the word sentient, meaning pain-feeling entity, because they are subjects of pity, animals are given a right, by default, to not be harmed)
(Rousseau on Aristotle: Dismisses the traditional Aristotelian ideal that some men are superior to others because of natural inequalities. Rather, these inequalities are constructed by society and are not natural, they are political.)
