"The Free Animal provides a careful look at the question of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's belief in and hope for free will. Lee MacLean, who is well acquainted with both Rousseau's texts and the secondary literature on his work, demonstrates that Rousseau does take seriously freedom of the will, and that it is necessary to his system - especially for his political psychology." -- Jeremiah Alberg, Professor of Philosophy and Religion, International Christian University "In The Free Animal, Lee MacLean tackles a difficult and important subject with significant implications for Rousseau's moral and political thought: the issue of what, according to him, distinguishes human beings from the other beings. Drawing on a wide range of sources within Rousseau's broad corpus, MacLean's analysis is thorough, and her scholarship is impressive." -- John T. Scott, Department of Political Science, University of California, Davis

Free will is a key but contested concept in the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau: while the famed philosopher is known to have asserted that free will distinguishes human beings from animals, several interpreters have argued that he merely pretends to have this belief for the sake of healthy politics and to avoid persecution by religious authorities. Through careful readings of key texts and letters, The Free Animal offers a new and original exploration of Rousseau’s views on free will.

Lee MacLean shows that Rousseau needs and uses the idea of human consciousness of free will to explain the development of morality, convention, and vice. MacLean bases her argument on a broad range of texts, from canonical works to Rousseau’s untranslated letters and drafts. Featuring careful analyses and an extensive engagement with the secondary literature, The Free Animal offers a novel interpretation of the changing nature and complexity of Rousseau’s intention.

"‘The Free Animal is an excellent work not only in its theoretical sophistication, but also in its keen attention to the rhetorical nuances of Rousseau’s careful writing. Highly recommended.’" - Choice Magazine vol 51:08:2014