Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was an outstanding Swiss social philosopher and writer. The most radical and popular of the philosophers who participated in the 18th century intellectual movement – the Enlightenment.
His main work, "The Articles of Incorporation", served as a true catechism for the French Revolution and exerted a great influence on the so-called political liberalism.
Ardent advocate of the principles of "Liberty, equality and fraternity", the motto of the revolution, is seen as the "prophet" of the movement.
Rousseau's Biography
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 28, 1712. Son of a Protestant watchmaker, he loses his mother at birth. In 1722 he lost his father.
He is educated by a Protestant pastor in the town of Bossey. At the age of 16 he goes to Savoy, Italy, and with no means of survival he seeks a Catholic institution and expresses his desire to convert to Catholicism.
He shows great interest in reading and music. Back in Geneva, he returns to Protestantism. He performs several trades: watchmaker, pastor and recorder, all without success.
In 1732, Rousseau moves to Paris, where he meets Madame Warens and, alongside her, as an autodidact, he conquers a large part of her education. On leaving her, in 1740, he lives as a wanderer, until in 1742 he meets another illustrious lady who helps the philosopher.
Thanks to his patroness, he became secretary to the French ambassador in Venice. He is dedicated to the study and understanding of politics. In 1744 he returned to Paris and the following year wrote a theme for ballet, "The Gallant Muses". He meets Thérèse Lavasseur, a hotel maid, they live together and have five children, all sent to public orphanages.
Living in Paris, he discovers the Enlightenment and he starts to collaborate with the movement. He becomes known for his works on politics, philosophy and music. In 1750 he wins the Dijon Academy competition prize with the "Discourse on Sciences and the Arts".
Although he has collaborated with Voltaire on Enlightenment works, in his essay he asserts that the sciences, letters and arts are the worst enemies of morality. "All that distinguishes civilized man from savage is evil."
Rousseau faces an entire society. It takes a position that will influence not only Europe, but the whole of the West. His attitude is to end all existing codes. Destroy the falsehood imposed by society.
Rousseau attacks art, however, devotes himself to music and writes the comic opera "The Peasant of the Village" and the comedy "Narcissus", both in 1752.
Develop ideas exposed in your award-winning speech and write "Discourse on Inequality" (1754).
In this work, he reinforces the theory already raised, reaffirming: “Man is naturally good. It is only because of the institutions that it becomes bad”. It attacks the resulting inequality of privileges. “To undo evil, it is enough to abandon civilization”.
In 1756 Rousseau becomes a guest of Madame d'Epinay's palace, when he begins his three greatest works: "New Heloise", "The Articles of Incorporation" and "Emile".
In 1761, he published Nova Heloísa, where he extolled the delights of virtue, the pleasure of renunciation, the poetry of mountains, forests and lakes. “Only the countryside can purify love and free it from social corruption”. The book is well received, it is the first manifestation of Romanticism. Nature comes into fashion. Rousseau is called "The Good Wild".
The Articles of Incorporation and Émile
The Articles of Incorporation, a book published in 1762, is a plan for the reconstruction of humanity's social relations. His basic principle holds.
“In a natural state, men are equal: evils only appeared after certain men decided to demarcate pieces of land, saying to themselves: This land is mine. And then the various degrees of human inequality were born”.
For Rousseau, the only hope of guaranteeing the rights of everyone lies in organizing a civil society, with equal rights for all. This could be done through a social contract established between the various members of the group. By this agreement, each individual would agree to submit to the will of the majority: the state is born.
In emile, the same plan for the reconstruction of humanity is based on education. It's a kind of pedagogical novel.
Rousseau figures the hero as a child completely isolated from the social environment, without any influence from civilization. His teacher does not try to teach him any virtue, but tries to preserve the purity of his instinct against the possible hints of vice.
Rousseau's Persecution and Death
The publication of the Social Contract and Émile, with democratic ideas, are audacious for the time. Émile editions are burned in Paris. His arrest in France decreed, Rousseau takes refuge in Geneva, but his books also trouble the government.
His books are considered "reckless, scandalous, tending to destroy the Christian religion." Constantly persecuted, he finds asylum in Môtiers, under the protection of Frederick the Great. There he lives from 1761 to 1765. At that time he writes: "Letters Written on the Mountain" and “Project for the Constitution of Corsica”. and start "Confessions".
In 1765, accused of poisoning the villagers, led by a shepherd, he flees to England, where George III grants him a pension. Your mental health is already shaken. Suffers from persecution mania and reaches dementia. Desperate, he runs away once more and travels aimlessly.
In this wandering life he writes “Considerations on the Government of Poland” and "Dreams of a Lone Thinker". In 1778, he is taken in by the Marquis de Girardin in his domain of Ermonville, France, where he lives his last days. Jean Jacques Rousseau died of apoplexy on July 2, 1778.
Read:
- Contractualism
- Enlightenment Philosophers
- Constitutional monarchy
- Political Philosophy
