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The Genius of Rousseau

Introduction

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in June 28, 1712 and died on July 3, 1778. His mother died on July 7 only few days after he was born. Rousseau brought up mainly by his father Isaac Rousseau who was a clockmaker. He read ancient Greek and Roman literature such as the Lives of Plutarch at an early age with his father. He got married in 1768 to Therese Levasseur who was a linen-maid and they had five children together. He was one of the most dominant writer and thinker of Europe during eighteenth century. Rousseau always wanted to live a very simple and life. He was very close to nature and his opinion was to enjoy what nature gives us (Hagan, n.d.).

Rousseau's Work and Achievements

He worked on a number of articles on music for Diderot and d'Alembert's. Rousseau wrote many essays and got achievements. His first main theoretical effort, “A Discourse on the Sciences and Arts”, was one of the winning essay which was published on 1750 and a response to the prize organized by Academy of Dijon. This Academy also posed the question, “Has the restoration of the sciences and arts tended to purify morals?” and Rousseau's answered to that question as absolute “no”. It was the First Discourse of Rousseau. In this essay, Rousseau debated on the succession of the sciences and arts became the corruption of morality and virtue. Rousseau won this dialogue and it was largely appreciated (Hagan, n.d). In this essay Rousseau gave a brief introduction about the sciences and arts and the dangers they bring in society. He argued that basically people are good by nature but they become corrupted by the evils of this society. This work is the greatest example of Rousseau as a “counter-Enlightenment” thinker. “The ...