Monday 29 September 2008

What were the major works of Jean Jacques Rousseau?

Jean
Jacques Rousseau (1712 €“ 1778) is widely acknowledged as on of the most important thinkers of
the eighteenth-century European Enlightenment. The areas he most influenced were Romanticism,
education, and political philosophy. His most important works were:


  •  A Discourse on the Arts and Sciences
    (nonfiction, 1750/1): argues that modern developments in arts and science did not
    improve moral character; developed the concept of the "Noble Savage". 

  • Of the Social Contract, Principles of Political Right
    (nonfiction, 1755/61): a treatise which argued that legitimate sovereignty was always with the
    people and that governments were only legitimatized by the people they ruled.

  • Julie, or  (novel, 1761): a romantic novel emphasizing the
    virtues of nature and the simple rural life. 
  • Emilius and
    Sophia: Or, a New System of Education
     (nonfiction, 1762-1763): argues for
    individualized instruction based on children's innate abilities and interests and balancing
    study with physical activity and exploration of nature,
  • Theof
    (autobiography, 1783-1790): posthumously published, and unusually frank for the
    period.

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