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How Did Jean Jacques Rousseau Contribute To War

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Words That Fueled a War The French Revolution came about following a period referred to as the enlightenment period, which was a time of learning and many great writers emerged from this period including Jean-Jacques Rousseau. A majority of Rousseau’s writings were political and some of these writings impacted the leaders of the French Revolution, as his writings addressed equality, freedom, sovereignty and education. Rousseau was born in Geneva on June 28th, 1712 and he was raised by his father and later his uncle due to the fact that his mother passed away soon after his birth and his older brother ran away from home. His uncle raised him after his father quarreled with a French Captain and fled the country for fear of imprisonment. Rousseau was an apprentice engraver for three years, but left …show more content…

He then moved to Paris, where he pursued his musical career by both playing and composing. It was in Paris in 1745 where he met Therese Levasseur, the woman he would marry in 1768 and spend the rest of his life with. Around the same time, Rousseau became friends with philosophers Condillac and Diderot whom he wrote articles about music for. His first influential piece was entitled Discourse on the Arts and Sciences, and it was a response to the question, “Has the restoration of the sciences and arts tended to purify morals?” which was proposed by the Academy of Dijon for an essay contest. Rousseau’s essay won and it became widely read and a topic of conversation due to it’s controversial ideas. Rousseau then returned his music and a few years later his opera, Le Devin du Village opened and was an enormous success and gained him more fame than he wanted, so he decided to give up composing music. His second major piece was also a response to a question proposed by the Academy of Dijon and it was entitled, Discourse on

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Rousseau’s beliefs coincided with the beliefs of other Enlightenment thinkers. This is shown when he writes, “Duty and interest thus equally require the two contracting parties [the people and the government] to aid each other mutually” (Document 3). In that period of history, it was typical for people to be ruled by a monarch and they had very little say, if any, in the laws and policies that impacted their day to day life. Rousseau felt that the system was outdated and it made citizens feel as if they were living in someone else’s home rather than their own, so he theorized that by fabricating a system in which the government and the people are forced to work together, it creates a sense of unity and equality. This works because “ … an offense against one of its members is an offense against the body politic.

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812 Words | 4 Pages

Rousseau’s beliefs coincided with the beliefs of other Enlightenment thinkers. This is shown when he writes, “Duty and interest thus equally require the two contracting parties [the people and the government] to aid each other mutually” (Document 3). In that period of history, it was typical for people to be ruled by a monarch and they had very little say, if any, in the laws and policies that impacted their day to day life. Rousseau felt that the system was outdated and it made citizens feel as if they were living in someone else’s home rather than their own, so he theorized that by fabricating a system in which the government and the people are forced to work together, it creates a sense of unity and equality. This works because “ … an offense against one of its members is an offense against the body politic.

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1137 Words | 5 Pages

Rousseau’s main idea is that everyone should feel safe, happy, and equal even if it means sacrificing personal joy for the good of society. If these things are not present then the community does not work. The contract

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He based his beliefs off of the ideas that all men are created good-natured, but society corrupts them. Unlike some other French Enlightenment thinkers, Rousseau believed that the Social contract was not a willing agreement. He also said that no man should be forced to give up their natural rights to a ruler. He came up with the solution that people should “give up” their natural rights to the community for the public’s good. He believed in a democratic government.

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When speaking of The French Revolution, Rousseau another thinker of the Enlightenment implemented the theory of the social contract. The Social contract created during the enlightenment period influenced the French Revolt in a major way. The social contract developed the idea that power of government should remain in the hands of the natives. Rousseau ideas provided the foundation for the stable governments in which the revolution would soon create. His philosophy stressed social equality and freedoms which eventually led to the overthrow of the monarchy of the French government at the time.

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Rousseau, one of the most leading philosophers during the Enlightenment, had indeed left many of legendries behind. Not only his writings had caused many of the reactions at that time, but also influenced many writers’ aspects of the French Revolution and the overall understanding of inequality and the General Will. As one of the chief political theorists during the French Revolution who was also influenced by Rousseau’s ideas, Abbe Sieyes, published the pamphlet, “What is the Third Estate?” in 1789. This pamphlet was one of the documents that changed the world and lit the flame toward the French Revolution, as characterized by Joe Janes, a University of Washington professor (Janes).

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Rousseau took advantage of his freedom by writing about is confessions. Writing about his confessions was equivalent to a girl writing in her diary, but he published his confessions for everyone to view and make their own opinions about his situations . Since he had so much freedom he was not worried about the consequences he could face if he published them or what help thought of it. “Let the trumpet of judgement sound when it will, I will present myself with this book in my hand before the Supreme Judge” (586 Rousseau). Rousseau was absolutely confident that he would not face any consequences and people would understand why he was doing this.

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Due to this, the French revolution was much more violent and fanatical than the American had been. It is known that Gentz had translated the work of Edmund Burke into German, and there

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At the time of its publication, Rousseau had withdrawn from Paris and was living with a noblewoman. His location allowed him to write with little concern for the controversy surrounding his two previous Discourses, and the period was one of the most productive of his life (Delaney). He wrote as a way to address the ideas he had been accumulating from years traveling around Europe. His observations led him to argue that the rights of the people are violated in a civil society, and this should be changed under a social contract. After observing numerous governments, he concludes that people should only be governed by the Sovereign, a body with one collective will.

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In order to explore what, according to Rousseau, were the worst effects of socialisation and as a result how they impacted humanity, four points require

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Rousseau, who was another very significant historical figure, appears later in 1762. Rousseau shares the social contract notion but takes a more abstract approach, arguing that the leader should follow the General Will, the spirit of the society, and should be ousted if he does not. Ultimately, John Locke is the most influential person because he helps found the Enlightenment, and his theory of the blank slate, has repeatedly influenced numerous psychological debates today. The second most influential person is Rousseau, a product of the Enlightenment, who has a significant influence on governmental ideologies, which influences ideals in World Wars II. Since Locke stimulated the Enlightenment and consequently the ideas of Rousseau, Locke has a greater overall

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INTRODUCTION Jean Jacque Rousseau was born in the city state of Geneva, Switzerland in 1772. Rousseau is primarily known for major works like- The Social Contract, Emile, Discourse on the origin of Inequality, the Constitutional Project for Corsica, and Consideration on the Government of Poland. What makes Rousseau such an important figure in the history of philosophy is because of his contribution to both political and moral philosophies and his concept of ‘general will’, which also gained him a lot of criticism. Apart from his philosophical and political contribution, he was also a novelist, an autobiographer, botanist, composer and also a music theorist.

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1365 Words | 6 Pages

[hook] During the eighteenth century, after the revolution, a famous author, Rousseau, wrote an essay “Confession”, where he explored himself, even the most embarrassing moments he experienced, by telling readers how he behaved and exposing how he felt in that way. As he said readers should not feel shame of or blame him of what he did. Even we should encourage and send applause to him because his confession is not only about how he acted in the society but also what it did to him. Instead of judging him, the more valuable thing is to understand what motivated his action. Here is an interesting story in his life that he stole the ribbon and framed Marion.

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1355 Words | 6 Pages

The autobiography, The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, provides a vivid insight into the complicated, yet exhilarating, life of Rousseau. The beginning of his life was filled with misfortunes, such as the death of his mother which was quickly followed by a distraught and self-sabotaging attitude which his father adopted. This led to his father’s involvement in illegal behaviors and the subsequent abandonment of Rousseau. His mother’s death was the catalyst for his journey to meet multiple women who would later affect his life greatly. The Influence of Miss Lamberciers, Madame Basile, Countess de Vercellis, and Madam de Warens on the impressionable adolescent mind of Rousseau led to the positive cultivation of self-discovery and the creation of new experiences, as well as the development of inappropriate sexual desires and attachments towards women.

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The French Revolution was undoubtedly influenced by the political theorists of the Enlightenment. The ideas of two French political theorists in particular are easily seen throughout the French Revolution, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Baron Montesquieu. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s thoughts and texts, such as the Social Contract, instilled the entitlement of basic human rights to all men. Rousseau’s concepts on rights combined with Baron Montesquieu’s ideas on government provided the backbone of a radical movement in the French Revolution known as the Terror. When one delves into the beginnings of the French Revolution, the motives and actions of the National Assembly, and the Terror of the French Revolution, one can obviously see the influence of two Enlightenment political theorists, Rousseau and Montesquieu.

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