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“The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau” is a one-of-a-kind autobiography. Up until its publication in 1782, only two autobiographies had ever been written, and both were written by devout religious saints. Highly scandalous yet witty in nature, calling Rousseau’s work an “autobiography” is a loose categorization of the text, as many of the stories and tales have been proven false, yet Rousseau told the truth about the spirit of his life through the book. He creates a portrait of himself that he wanted readers to remember, drawing from a humorous inner-monologue that his “character” created. Critics and readers often refer to Rousseau as a “genius”, not only for his other works, but also because of the “Confessions”. He took a risk in generating a contemptible persona as representative of his voice, but he then draws the reader to his side by his blatantly comical honesty. He is a gambler, a trickster, a gossip, and a mastermind all in one body. But aside from his comedy, Rousseau also discusses the difficulty of living in a culture that banned his earlier works and friends who betrayed him during the revolutionary times. “The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau” is a significant text because of its wit, its honesty, and its portrayal of French history and society. This edition includes a biographical afterword.

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Originally published in 1762, “The Social Contract” is Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s treatise on how to best organize politics in the face of commercial society. Rousseau writes, “Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.” This statement exemplifies the main dilemma of government, that despite mankind having an inherent natural right to freedom, modern, especially autocratic, governments had gone too far in restricting it. The question which Rousseau is asking within this work is whether or not there can be a legitimate political authority, for as he observed, those of his time seemed to put mankind worse off than they were living by the state of nature which existed before civilization. Arguing against the concept of divine right, Rousseau asserts that true sovereignty exists only amongst the people as a whole. By a mutual agreement to a universal social contract mankind can be free equally as each and everyone agrees collectively to how their rights may be abridged and what societal duty may be placed upon them. The ideas of the “The Social Contract” form the basis for all modern democracies, making it one of the most influential political treatises ever written. This edition includes an introduction by Edward L. Walter and a biographical afterword.

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Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the most influential figures of the 18th century. His political philosophy has been pointed to as a major contributing factor in causing the French Revolution. Social and economic inequality has been a pervasive element of human existence for the entirety of recorded history. The causes of this inequality are principal to the discussion of political, legal, and economic theory. Rousseau acknowledges two primary forces that bring about inequality in the world. The first is that which arises from natural law. Given the fact that some men are more capable in both their desire and ability to produce wealth, it is only natural that some inequality will arise. Rousseau argued however that a greater inequality comes from a secondary cause, that which arises from the structural deficiencies of civil society. Central to «A Discourse on on the Origin of Inequality» is the idea that as civilizations have grown so has the power of the privileged to gain an unnatural advantage over the weaker members of society. As relevant today as when first written, the influence of Rousseau’s philosophy on the development of modern society cannot be overstated. This edition follows the translation of G. D. H. Cole and includes a biographical afterword.

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"Man was born free, but everywhere he is in chains. This man believes that he is the master of others, and still he is more of a slave than they are. How did that transformation take place? I don't know. How may the restraints on man become legitimate? I do believe I can answer that question …"Thus begins Rousseau's influential 1762 work, Du Contract Social. Arguing that all government is fundamentally flawed, and that modern society is based on a system that fosters inequality and servitude, Rousseau demands nothing less than a complete revision of the social contract to ensure equality and freedom.Noting that government derives its authority by the people's willing consent (rather than the authorization of God), Rousseau posits that a good government can justify its need for individual compromises, rewarding its citizens with «civil liberty and the proprietorship of all he possesses.» The controversial philosopher further suggests that promoting social settings in which people transcend their immediate appetites and desires lead to the development of self-governing, self-disciplined beings.A milestone of political science, these essays introduced the inflammatory ideas that led to the chaos of the French Revolution, and are considered essential reading for students of history, philosophy, and other social sciences.

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If humans are benevolent by nature, how do societies become corrupt? And how do governments founded upon the defense of individual rights degenerate into tyranny? These are the questions addressed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Discourse on the Origin of Inequality, a strikingly original inquiry into much-explored issues of 18th-century (and subsequent) philosophy: human nature and the best form of government.Rousseau takes an innovative approach by introducing a «hypothetical history» that presents a theoretical view of people in a pre-social condition and the ensuing effects of civilization. In his sweeping account of humanity's social and political development, the author develops a theory of human evolution that prefigures Darwinian thought and encompasses aspects of ethics, sociology, and epistemology. He concludes that people are inevitably corrupt as a result of both natural (or physical) inequalities and moral (or political) inequalities.One of the most influential works of the Enlightenment, the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality offers a thought-provoking account of society's origins and a keen criticism of unequal modern political institutions.

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Born on June 28, 1712, in Geneva, the French philosopher, novelist and essayist Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the most prominent and definitive minds of the Enlightenment. Self-taught, Rousseau dabbled in many fields, keeping journals of his interests in science, mathematics, music, astronomy, botany, music, literature, and philosophy. He achieved sudden success and subsequent fame with his «A Discourse on the Arts and Sciences», a work that cemented his pivotal place in the history of The Enlightenment and philosophy as a whole. «The Reveries of the Solitary Walker» is an unfinished work, one of the last composed in Rousseau's lifetime. The book is composed of ten chapters, called «walks.» Walks eight and nine were never revised, and the tenth walk is incomplete. Regardless, this work, like others written near the end of his life, is greatly autobiographical, consisting of descriptions of walks he took around Paris, as well as further comment on arguments he previously made, concerning education and political philosophy, among other subjects.

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"The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau" is a one-of-a-kind autobiography. Up until its publication in 1782, only two autobiographies had ever been written, and both were written by devout religious saints. Highly scandalous yet witty in nature, calling Rousseau's work an «autobiography» is a loose categorization of the text, as many of the stories and tales have been proven false. Yet Rousseau told the truth about the spirit of his life through the book. He creates a portrait of himself that he wanted readers to remember, drawing from a humorous inner-monologue that his «character» created. Critics and readers often refer to Rousseau as a «genius,» not only for his other works, but mainly because of «Confessions.» He took a risk in generating a contemptible persona as representative of his voice, but he then draws the reader to his side by his blatantly comical honesty. He is a gambler, a trickster, a gossip, and a mastermind all in one body. But aside from his comedy, Rousseau also discusses the difficulty of living in a culture that banned his earlier works and friends who betrayed him during the revolutionary times. It is a significant text because of its wit, its honesty, and its portrayal of French history and society.

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau writes, «Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.» This statement exemplifies the main idea behind «The Social Contract», in other words that man is essentially free if it weren't for the oppression of political organizations such as government. Rousseau goes on to lay forth the principles that he deems most important for achieving political right amongst people. Contained within this volume are also two discourses by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In «A Discourse on the Origin of Inequality» Rousseau examines the causes of the inequalities that exist among men concluding that it is the natural result of the formation of any civilization. In «A Discourse on Political Economy» Rousseau examines the nature of politics and their effect on people. These three works lay a solid foundation for the political philosophy of Rousseau and are a must read for any student of political science or philosophy.

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Примечание: Собрание сочинений Ж. Ж. Руссо Полный вариант заголовка: «Oeuvres complettes de J. J. Rousseau. T. 13, t. 3. Dictionnaire de musique».

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