Essay, Biography or Paragraph on “Rousseau” complete biography for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Rousseau

France : A revolutionary philosopher

Born : 1712        Died : 1778

The social, economic and political conditions in France at the time of Rousseau could be best described as miserable. There was large scale discontent, corruption and misrule. Rousseau’s thoughts so influenced the people of France that it paved the way for French revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte was constrained to remark that ‘if there was no Rousseau, there might never had been a revolution in France.’ The thoughts and writings of Jean Jacques Rousseau prepared the ground for French revolution. He kindled the flame into the hearts of French masses.

Rousseau was born in 1712 at Geneva in Switzerland. Later he moved to France. His education started at an early age and he started reading books from his father’s library at the age of 6. Rousseau started writing essays around 1742. His articles were on social and political subjects, which had direct effect on the people. His principles of ‘General Will’ and ‘Return to Nature’ had great impact. His dictum that ‘man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains’, was a revolutionary concept. His principles were enshrined in a new ideology which was given the name of ‘romanticism’. Apart from politics, this new stream of thought influenced philosophy, literature and arts. The French revolution of 1789 was influenced by his thoughts and ideology.

The most known books of Rousseau are: A Treatise on Social Contract: or the Principles of Political Law (1762), A Discourse upon the Origin and Foundation of the Inequalities of Man, Introduction of Political Economy, Emile, Julie, Observations, Confession, Dialogues and Reveries. Rousseau believed that ‘man established the state out of his free will. In the natural state in which men lived in the past, they entered into agreement with each other. As such, the state is born out of the collective will of the people.’ In Rousseau’s views, the natural state in which men lived in the past was far better than the present social state.