What kind of nobility does Rousseau attribute to the "savage" and by what variety of means does he believe this can be corrupted by civilization? Jean-Jacques Rousseau in "The Social Contract and Discourses" examines the inequality created between men in society (civilization). Rousseau attempts to demonstrate the fundamental attributes of human beings in the 'state of nature' and how inequality is generated and corrupts the 'savage' through the process of civilisation. What he calls moral inequality is considered unnatural and occurs only in societies where man has become more “civilized.” The 'savage', on the other hand, is described as an animal that acts as nature dictates, “being devoid of any kind of enlightenment... its desires never go further. As a result, new needs are created, and man begins to move out of the "state of nature" world towards something quite different (civilization). Rousseau writes that as individuals have more contact with each other small unions begin to form, this necessitates the need to develop ways of communication through language, language therefore contributes to the development of reason. Rousseau uses the argument that civilization brings with it diseases that would not exist in the "state of nature". In the new civilized society humans develop negative motivating principles for human actions. Rousseau calls it "the impetuosity of self-love" which leads an individual to value himself more than anyone else, in other words compassion pushes men to seek domination over their peers as a way to increase their own happiness. Furthermore, Rousseau argues that civilization creates the unnecessary need for drugs “Being therefore subject to so few causes of