Jean-Jacques Rousseau



Rousseau also known as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, was born on June 28, 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland. He was raised by his aunt and uncle after, he's mother died and his father had left. Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher. He left Geneva when he was 16 and went to many other places, to end up in Paris, in 1782. He move to Paris after created a new numerical system of music notation. He wanted to show this to the French Academy of Science, which was not accepted by the Academy later on. Rousseau then began, to write articles on music and many other things. This was the starting point of his philosophy expanding. He said that arts and science were responsible for the down fall of humans. Rousseau is still recognized by his music but, mostly recognized for his philosophy. He believed that humans were kind by nature. Rousseau died on July 2, 1778.

Philosophy
Rousseau believed that the child should be allowed to remain in it's 'naturally' innocent state as long as possible. Rousseau proposed the catchphrase, "We should return to nature, for nature is good, and man is 'by nature' good; it is civilization which ruins him. For instance he thought that the way the world is, is the reason why humans aren't kind. but if you subtract all the negative things in life then humans will be kind. In the book, Sophie's World it demonstrates on packet 5, page 179, paragraph 10, what Rousseau believed in. "Rousseau proposed the catchphrase, 'We should return to nature. 'For nature is good, and man is 'by nature' good; it is civilization which ruins him. Rousseau also believed that the child should be allowed to remain in its 'naturally' innocent state as long as possible."

Quotes
"Every man has the right to risk his own life in order to preserve it. Has it ever been said that a man who throws himself out the window to escape from a fire is guilty of suicide?"

"Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves."

"Free people, remember this maxim: we may acquire liberty, but it is never recovered if it is once lost."

"Although modesty is natural to man, it is not natural to children. Modesty only begins with the knowledge of evil."

"It is a mania shared by philosophers of all ages to deny what exists and to explain what does not exist."

"Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases."

Famous Works
The first famous work that Rousseau achieved was the new system of numbered musical notation. His second famous work was that Rousseau served as the secretary to the French ambassador in Venice. His third famous work was that he was a writer. He wrote lots of articles, which lead him to write about his philosophy or what he believed in.