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Jean Jacques Rousseau Research Paper

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Jean Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan born composer, writer and philosopher during the Enlightenment era of 18th century Europe. Rousseau was born in 1712 during the final years of Louis XII, the absolute monarch who would infamously institute a strong centralized French government and changed the role of religion in France . The autocratic monarch would be the inspiration behind the Enlightenment era in France. During Rousseau’s lifespan, Europe was undergoing a transformation both economically and socially; as well as, an unstable political period. Industrialization and colonialism lead to the displacement in socioeconomic systems, which lead to tremendous inequality in European society. Sparking new radical forms of literature that questioned the status quo of the time and would eventually spark reform throughout Europe. Jean Jacques Rousseau would rise as a one of the most prominent figures of this …show more content…

His publications on political theories would help inspire the French Revolution. Rousseau’s writings emphasized ideas of how to achieve equality in society through specific government or education reforms. In Rousseau’s most notable work The Social Contract (1762), he argued that Government attains the right to govern by the consent of the governed. In this essay I will explore Rousseau’s social contract by looking at key themes specifically focusing on assessing the concept of general will, and the concept of sovereignty and how they intertwine. I will also look at the continuing influence of The Social Contract in political and philosophical spheres. In 1755 Rousseau published Discourse on Inequality, in this particular essay Rousseau

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