Jean-Jacques Rousseau

1712–1778

Nationality: Swiss

Historical Period: The 18th Century

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was a Swiss philosopher and novelist who was an important figure in the Enlightenment. In his novels and discourses he claimed that civilization had weakened the natural liberty of mankind and that a truly free society would be the expression of the “general will” of all members of that society. He influenced later thinkers on both ends of the political spectrum.

• Author: Emile, or Education
• Author: Ideal Empires and Republics
• Author: A Lasting Peace through the Federation of Europe and The State of War
• Author: The Political Writings of Jean Jacques Rousseau, 2 vols.
• Author: The Social Contract and Discourses