JeanJacques Rousseau Josh Shannon Carli Joel and Amanda

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Josh, Shannon, Carli, Joel, and Amanda

Biography v Born in Geneva on June 28, 1712 v Suzanne Bernard, his mother, died a week after he was born v Brother ran away from home v Isaac Rousseau, his father, left Geneva to avoid imprisonment v Was raised by his uncle after his father left v Was sent to study in the village of Bosey.

Biography (cont. ) v Apprenticed to an engraver v 1725; left and went to Annecy due to his master being violent v 1742; went to Paris to become a composer and musician v Wrote the books – o Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality(1754) o Lettre sur les spectacles(1758) o La Nouvelle Héloise(1761) o The Social Contract(1762) o Émile(1762) o Réveries(1782)

Philosophical Ideas Did this political thinker think people could govern themselves? v Believed people could govern themselves v Sees freedom and liberty not to do whatever you want but the opportunity to do the right thing. o This includes obedience to authority, an authority agreed on by the citizens not a forced authority.

Philosophical Ideas (cont. ) Is humankind basically good or bad? v Children naturally good, innocent. v He writes “Make the citizen good by training”, “and everything else will follow”. v Training = education o Education should be personalized depending on the stage, nature of the individual. v Develop ideas for your own based on experience, not be taught other peoples ideas v Humans are by nature good - and it is society's institutions that corrupt them

Philosophical Ideas (cont. ) What are the underlining ideas behind Rousseau’s thinking? v Was isolated from other children v No formal education v Draws influence from his relationships v Thérèse Lavasseur: o Companion to Rousseau (believed she had a ‘pure heart’) o Had five children but gave them up to an orphanage because they felt they would be better off v Found living amongst people difficult o Preferring solitary life o Felt like he maliciously attacked, particularly by Voltaire

Beliefs in Government v. Believed that authority lies with the people. v. In The Social Contract written in 1762 Rousseau states: o Man is born free. o Controls by a freely formed government are good. o Consent to a form of governments means that the individual gives up self-interest in favor of the common good. o When government is by the consent of the governed the people retain their rights.

Beliefs in Government (cont. ) v. Hated political and economic oppression v. Supported revolt v. Influenced thinkers for more than 200 years o may have influenced the writers of our Constitution. v. Was influenced by the modern natural law tradition o Which Attempted to answer the challenge of skepticism through a systematic approach to human nature that, like Hobbes, emphasized self-interest

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Symbol