Jean-Jacques Rousseau
1712 — 1778
Biography
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the most influential thinkers of the 18th century, a precursor of Romanticism. He contrasted the corrupted civilization with man's 'natural state.'
'Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains' — thus begins his 'Social Contract.' Rousseau developed the theory of popular sovereignty and general will.
His pedagogical novel 'Emile' revolutionized the understanding of education. Rousseau's ideas inspired the French Revolution.
Key Ideas
- Man is naturally good
- Civilization corrupts
- Social contract
- Popular sovereignty
- Natural education
Works
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The Social Contract
(1762)
Political philosophy
-
Emile, or On Education
(1762)
Philosophy of education
-
Confessions
(1782)
Autobiography