Rousseau09

media type="custom" key="4652349" Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born on June 28, 1712, in Geneva, Switzerland, and died on July 2 1778. Rousseau was proud that his family, of the //moyen// (or middle-class) order, had voting rights in that city. Throughout his life he described himself as a citizen of Geneva. In theory Geneva was governed democratically by its male voting citizens who were a minority of the population. In fact, a secretive executive committee, called the Little Council, ruled the city. So even from an early age, Jean-Jacques was exposed to politics.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a thinking man who was influential in mainly politics. Rousseau believed that a government can only be legitimate if it has been sanctioned by the people in the role of the sovereign. In addition, Rousseau maintained that a perfect society would be controlled by the 'general will" of its populace. While he does not define exactly how this should be accomplished (as there are many possible ways, each suited to different situations), he suggests that assemblies be held in which every citizen can assist in determining the general will. Without this input from the people, there can be no legitimate government. Importantly, this input cannot come from representatives, but must be from the people themselves. Some of these ideas are now incorporated in democracies used today.

Some of his works include the The Social Contract, Theory of Natural Man, Political Theory, Education and Child Rearing. Arguably, Jean Jacques Rousseau's most important work is The Social Contract, which outlines the basis for a legitimate political order or government within a framework of classical republicanism. It was published in 1762 and became one of the most influential works of political philosophy in the Western tradition. In his thin work Rousseau claimed that the state of nature is rough, without law or morality, and that there are good men only a result of society's presence. In the state of nature, man is prone to be in frequent competition with his fellow men. Because he can be more successful facing threats by joining with other men.

Another of Rousseau's works was his Discourse on the Arts and Sciences Rousseau argues that the arts and sciences have not been beneficial to humankind, because they arose not from authentic human needs but rather as a result of pride and vanity. Moreover, the opportunities they create for idleness and luxury have contributed to the corruption of man. He proposed that the progress of knowledge had made governments more powerful and had crushed individual liberty; and he concluded that material progress had actually undermined the possibility of true friendship by replacing it with jealousy, fear, and suspicion.

In conclusion, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a man of great throughts alothough some of those ideas are seen as highly skeptical or even against the growth and welfare of mankind, however many ideas that are presented in The Social Contract are present in democracies of this day and age. Finally, Rousseau was criticized by many of his fellow philosophers but he held strong and stood behind his ideas. This is the mark of a truely great man.


 * //__The Social Contract__, Or Principles of Political Right//** (1762) by [|Jean-Jacques Rousseau], is the book in which Rousseau theorized about the best way in which to set up a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society.

Rousseau believed that a government can only be legitimate if it has been sanctioned by the people in the role of the sovereign. In addition, Rousseau maintained that a perfect society would be controlled by the 'general will" of its populace. While he does not define exactly how this should be accomplished (as there are many possible ways, each suited to different situations), he suggests that assemblies be held in which every citizen can assist in determining the general will. Without this input from the people, there can be no legitimate government. Importantly, this input cannot come from representatives, but must be from the people themselves.

Many of these ideas fall within the lines of democracy.

Born: June 28 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland Died: July 2 1778

Notable Ideas: Theory of Natural Man, Political Theory, Education and Child Rearing (to take care of and support up to maturity)

- __http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau#Education_and_Child_Rearing__

Rousseau's profound insight can be found in almost every trace of modern philosiphy today. Somewhat complicated and ambiguous, Rousseau's general philosophy tried to grasp an emotional and passionate side of man which he felt was left out of most previous philosophical thinking.

In his early writing, Rousseau contended that man is essentially good, a "noble savage" when in the "state of nature" (the state of all the other animals, and the condition man was in before the creation of civilization and society), and that good people are made unhappy and corrupted by their experiences in society. He viewed society as "artificial" and "corrupt" and that the furthering of society results in the continuing unhappiness of man.

Rousseau's essay, "Discourse on the "__Arts and Sciences__" (1750), argued that the advancement of art and science had not been beneficial to mankind. He proposed that the progress of knowledge had made governments more powerful, and crushed individual liberty. He concluded that material progress had actually undermined the possibility of sincere friendship, replacing it with jealousy, fear and suspicion.

Perhaps Rousseau's most important work is "The Social Contract" that describes the relationship of man with society. Contrary to his earlier work, Rousseau claimed that the state of nature is brutish condition without law or morality, and that there are good men only a result of society's presence. In the state of nature, man is prone to be in frequent competition with his fellow men. Because he can be more successful facing threats by joining with other men, he has the impetus to do so. He joins together with his fellow men to form the collective human presence known as "society." "The Social Contract" is the "compact" agreed to among men that sets the conditions for membership in society.

One of the primary principles of Rousseau's political philosophy is that politics and morality should not be separated. When a state fails to act in a moral fashion, it ceases to function in the proper manner and ceases to exert genuine authority over the individual. The second important principle is freedom, which the state is created to preserve.

Rousseau's ideas about education have profoundly influenced modern educational theory. He minimizes the importance of book learning, and recommends that a child's emotions should be educated before his reason. He placed a special emphasis on learning by experience.

“Never exceed your rights, and they will soon become unlimited.”- ROUSSEAU

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As a brilliant, undisciplined, and unconventional thinker, Jean-Jacques Rousseau spent most of his life being driven by controversy back and forth between Paris and his native Geneva... more items on page if needed...

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 * __Pgs. 298-302 in Volume 9 of The Mcgraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Biography__**