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Jean-Jacques Rousseau. By: Imani Kayla Bryant, Christina Bisesi, Alia Mahmood, Alexandra Mpofu, Katelyn Skaer, Sarah Baker, Karsyn McCluskey, Madhuvani Kamarajugadda. Background/Life.
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau By: Imani Kayla Bryant, Christina Bisesi, Alia Mahmood, Alexandra Mpofu, Katelyn Skaer, Sarah Baker, Karsyn McCluskey, Madhuvani Kamarajugadda
Background/Life • Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland on June 28,1712 Rousseau’s mother died after birth (puerperal fever), so he was raised by his father (Isaac Rousseau) and his aunt Suzanne • When Rousseau was 15 he ran from home and converted into Roman Catholicism after he did so he was disowned by his family (protestants) . • Was a philosopher, writer , and composer in the eighteenth century • social contract banned and burned in Geneva and France because of religious views • Died of a hemorrhage on July 2, 1778 (66 years when died)
Historical Events in Rousseau's Life • The French Revolution • Father of the French Revolution • Caused people to think differently
Impactful People in Rousseau’s Life • Plutarch- Wrote Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. Rousseau read this to his father while he worked. He saw Plutarch's work as a novel with noble knights and heroes. Rousseau would act out the characters as he read. • Militia- Would always see them as a symbol of popular spirit in resistance to the armies of the rulers, whom he saw as disgusting mercenaries. • Denis Diderot- A close friend and french philosopher, who wrote some articles on music with Rousseau in 1749 and helped write an article on political economy in 1755 which became famous. • Sophie d'Houdetot- A 25 year old unconsummated lover that inspired his novel, Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse. • Plato • Baruch Spinoza • Thomas Hobbes • John Locke
Rousseau and the Government • Rousseau believe that the government and the people created a social contract when their goals were freedom and benefit to the public. This made the government the supreme leader, but its existence depended on the will of the people. • “What, then, is the government? An intermediary body established between the subjects and the sovereign for their mutual communication, a body charged with the execution of the laws and the maintenance of freedom, both civil and political.” - Social Contract • Rousseau believed that the people must have all the power and there can be no separation of powers. The people must vote on the general will of the people. Rousseau’s general will was later embodied in the words “We the people . . .” at the beginning of the U.S. Constitution.
State of Nature • A term used to describe the hypothetical condition that proceed governments. • Unlike Hobbes’ theory, he believes that people would not have conflict because they would know each other well enough to know who was doing good or bad. • Rousseau believes that society is to blame for blemishing the pure people, and that the understanding of appropriate and inappropriate behavior would have not been established, leaving people to carry on about themselves and live harmoniously.
Social Contract • Social contract according to Rousseau, “Some form association must be found which can rally the whole community for the protection of the person...because he is a voluntary member.” • Social contracts are for protecting people & keeping their possessions and them safe, in exchange for giving up a little autonomy
Sovereignty,Rights, and Freedom • Sovereign- people who enter a civil society by their own consent • Rejected idea that people who enter a sovereign society retain individual rights over themselves and property • Explains how man in the State of Nature has total physical and spiritual freedom for two reasons: • we are not dominated by fellow men • we are not ruled by artificial needs that dominate modern society
Rousseau’s work & U.S. documents • The Social Contract has an idea about men being equal, the Declaration of Independence has the same idea in it as well. • The Social Contract states that everyone agrees to be under the social contract, people also agree to be under the U.S constitution. • The Declaration of Independence was created because colonists wanted to be equal to the British citizens, Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality states that man in every country should be equal.
