Who Is?:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a central figure in early modern philosophy, and one of the most influential intellectuals of the Enlightenment. He is the author of On the Social Contract, the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, and Emile. His influence, however, extends also to literature: with the Confessions he put forward one of the earliest examples of autobiography in modern literature, while the novel Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloise is regarded as one of the fist literary works of Romanticism. Rousseau was a major source of inspiration during the French revolution.
Life:
Rousseau was born in Geneva in 1712. His father was a watchmaker and his mother died just a few days after his birth. Educated by his father till the age of ten, the young Rousseau tried out different career avenues: he studied for some time to become a Catholic priest, then spent some time as a musician (both performer and teacher). Rousseau had converted to Catholicism in Turin in 1728, after having met a convert noblewoman, Mme de Warens, with whom she lived till 1740 as a household manager and, for some time, also as her lover. In 1745 Rousseau fell in love for a laundry-maid Thérèse Lavasseur, who later became his wife. Rousseau recounts to have had five children with Thérèse, all delivered to the foundling hospital.
In 1754 Rousseau converted to Calvinism, probably also to gain entitlement to his heritage (Catholic believers were not entitled to citizenship in Geneva at the time). The late 1750s and early 1760s mark the period of greatest success for Rousseau’s works: in 1754 came the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, in 1761 the novel Julie, which was an instant success; only one year later On the Social Contract saw the press along with the Emile.
Despite their intellectual visibility, Rousseau’s works were soon condemned both in Paris and in Geneva. His life was in peril. Davide Hume invited him to England. But, while on the island, Rousseau started giving signs of mental instability, and soon became convinced that Hume was plotting an international conspiracy against him. In 1767 he returned to France, where he spent most of his life working on the Confessions, an autobiography. Roussaeu died in 1778. In 1794 his fortune took a good turn, when the French revolutionaries brought his remaining in Paris’ Panthéon.
In 1754 Rousseau converted to Calvinism, probably also to gain entitlement to his heritage (Catholic believers were not entitled to citizenship in Geneva at the time). The late 1750s and early 1760s mark the period of greatest success for Rousseau’s works: in 1754 came the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, in 1761 the novel Julie, which was an instant success; only one year later On the Social Contract saw the press along with the Emile.
Despite their intellectual visibility, Rousseau’s works were soon condemned both in Paris and in Geneva. His life was in peril. Davide Hume invited him to England. But, while on the island, Rousseau started giving signs of mental instability, and soon became convinced that Hume was plotting an international conspiracy against him. In 1767 he returned to France, where he spent most of his life working on the Confessions, an autobiography. Roussaeu died in 1778. In 1794 his fortune took a good turn, when the French revolutionaries brought his remaining in Paris’ Panthéon.
Geneaology as a Philosophical Methodology:
Rousseau’s philosophical methodology innovated especially for the genealogical approach . Rousseau aimed to criticize extant social institutions (such as private property) by looking at their development; with the latter he understood not a proper history: he had no data at hand regarding human existence in pre-historical period and evolutionary theory was not at all established yet. Rather, Rousseau recounted an ideological story of how institutions such as language, private property, the family, and government had come to find a place among humans.
Rousseau’s Place in Modern Philosophy:
It is hard to underestimate the importance of Rousseau’s methodology for the development of modern European philosophy. Not only was his philosophy parallel in methodology to that of early evolutionary theorists, but he arguably worked also as a model for authors such as Hegel and Nietzsche who attempted to provide a genealogy of human culture. Not only had Rousseau an eccentric life, but his innovativeness in philosophy deserves him a special spot in the history of philosophical development.
Further Online Readings:
The entry on Rousseau at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
The entry on Rousseau at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
La Société Jean-Jacque Rousseau, based in Geneva, an international society promoting the study of Rousseau’s thought.
The Rousseau Association, connecting Rousseau scholars around the world. The site contains an updated and useful list of conferences and publications dedicated to the Genevan philosopher.
The 2012 Rousseau for all event – don’t miss it!
The entry on Rousseau at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
La Société Jean-Jacque Rousseau, based in Geneva, an international society promoting the study of Rousseau’s thought.
The Rousseau Association, connecting Rousseau scholars around the world. The site contains an updated and useful list of conferences and publications dedicated to the Genevan philosopher.
The 2012 Rousseau for all event – don’t miss it!
