Although it is relatively easy to confuse the ideas of Aristotle, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and René Descartes, ancient philosophy, 18th century politics and mathematics all seem to be significantly disconnected topics. Associated with these divisions are three different opinions on a common subject: technology. It seems that Rousseau directly opposes technology, Aristotle's view falls in between but also shares similarities with Rousseau, and Descartes favors technology. After reading Rousseau's Discourse on the Origin of Inequalities, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Descartes' Discourse on Method, we can draw these conclusions. When examining Rousseau's views on the natural man, it is clear that he believes that anything created by man is disadvantageous; Aristotle's view on friendship can be both supportive and antagonistic, while Descartes' method of seeking truth points only toward a pro-technology view. Although Rousseau does not clearly say that technology is bad, his discussion of the natural state of man compared to modern man, he clearly communicates his negative attitudes towards artificial things in life. To convey these feelings, he asserts that the lifestyle of the average human being does not allow for a beneficial balance. Rousseau gives examples such as “the overly refined foods of the rich, (...). . . which overwhelms them with indigestion; bad food for the poor. . . who, for lack of food, tend to stuff their stomachs as much as possible. . .” (22). These illustrations show that the suffering of the human species is caused by our own hands. To put this example in contemporary terms, think of a congregation of affluent people sharing a... middle of paper ...... and each field of study entails a different thought process. Aristotle, an ancient philosopher, is able to see both the good and the bad of technology; Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an 18th-century politician deeply rooted in self-preservation, understood that the only way to improve oneself was through natural means; René Descartes, a mathematician, believed that the only way to improve the human species was through scientific evaluations and technological advancements. Works cited by Aristotle and WD Ross. “Book VIII.” Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. London: Oxford UP, 1954. N. pag. Print.Descartes, René and Donald A. Cress. “Part II.” Discourse on the method. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Pub., 1998. 11. Print. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques and Donald A. Cress. Discourse on the origin of inequalities. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1992. 20, 22 and 34. Print.