Abstract
In his Lettre à d'Alembert, Rousseau blames Molière for ridiculing virtue by distorting the essentially noble character of Alceste, the pharisaical protagonist of his masterpiece, Le misanthrope. The purpose of this study is to contextualize Rousseau's foray into literary criticism by emphasizing parallels between the social milieus of the Genevan thinker and Molière's protagonist. While building on an established tradition that has problematized Rousseau's interpretation of the play, I show how Rousseau's misreading of Alceste subtends his moral vision of humanity and illuminates his life and writings.
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