About Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Genevan philosopher and writer (1712–1778) whose ideas about natural goodness, the corrupting effects of society, and popular sovereignty shaped both the French Revolution and Romanticism. Rousseau's Social Contract gave democratic theory its most radical expression; his other works — Émile, the Confessions, Discourse on Inequality — exposed its deepest tensions. His influence extends from Kant to Robespierre to contemporary democratic theory.
Books by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality
The foundational modern argument that inequality is made, not natural. Rousseau distinguishes a 'natural' inequality of body and mind from the 'moral' or political inequality of wealth, rank, and power — and argues the…
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A foundational text for understanding democracy, popular sovereignty, equality, and the tension between freedom and collective authority.
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