Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) was a Swiss-born philosopher whose revolutionary ideas on Individual Freedomand collective governance were shaped by the Enlightenment and his tumultuous personal Life, marked by his journeys through France and Switzerland. "The Social Contract," published in 1762 in Geneva, emerged amidst Enlightenment debates on governance and social Order. Initially controversial, it was banned in France and Geneva but resonated with reformists and thinkers advocating for Democracy and egalitarianism. Over Time, Rousseau’s treatise has profoundly impacted Political Philosophy, inspiring movements like the French Revolutionand influencing thinkers across disciplines, from Kant in Philosophyto Freud in Psychology, even reaching literary figures like Tolstoy, thus cementing its legacy as a cornerstone of modern political Thought.
Guiding Question
What freedoms must we surrender to truly live in harmony?