Rousseau's biography is important in the romanticism, it reflect the philosophical ideas of romanticism. In his confessions, He was open and frank about the way he feels and perceives his feelings. Rousseau was free to expresses his natural feelings and emotion as a human being. He saw the world in a different way. He expects society to view the world the same way. He wanted the enlightenment thinker to see the freedom of one self-freedom of love, expressing self-feelings and emotions as a natural. He believed that once you express feelings you would be happy and free. He wanted the enlightenment thinker to let people be themselves and do their own things. He wants people to follow their own desire and expect the church to respect people's desire. Rousseau's confessions serve as a bridge between the Enlightenment and emerging of Romanticism.
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Confession reveals the most intimate details of his life, both factual and emotional. It is a primary example of the religious order during that time spread with romanticism. During that time church was a decision-maker, everybody was expected to respect religious thought. Romanticism was time of one self and not "we". It was a time of expressing one self-feelings and emotion. It was a period of changes thus he was free to express his personal feelings/ emotion without any fear. "I venture to believe that I am not made like any of those who are in existence. If I am not better, at least I am different" (Lawall 428) Romanticism placed more emphasis on the emotional side of human beings, on the virtues of nature, and on the perfectibility of nature.
Moreover, Rousseau's confessions prove that he understood the difference between his ideals and reality, and he can maintained his idea as means to achieve his goal. "I would have sacrificed my happiness a thousand times for that of the person whom I loved". (Lawall 432) Rousseau was flexible enough to deal in the realm of practicality as well, a quality many Enlightenment thinkers lacked.
How does Rousseau conceive the relationship between democracy and freedom? ... The general will is essential to Rousseau's idea of freedom. ... Rousseau states that "so perfect a government is not suited to men". ... Ultimately democracy is not necessary for freedom under Rousseau's definition of the concept. ... Rousseau envisages a state where people think of the whole before themselves. ...
Rousseau Jean Jacques Rousseau was one of the many great minds in the eighteenth and nineteenth century who made many contributions to society. ... I agree totally with this thought of Rousseau. ... Rousseau believed in the "Noble Savage." ... To me, this is where Rousseau contradicts himself. ... I do not agree with some of Rousseau's theories. ...
Who influenced David and Rousseau? ... Without knowledge of Rousseau's own personal history it is hard to appreciate the intensely moralistic character and relevance of Rousseau's political writings. "Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778) became famous as a "French" political philosopher and educationalist. ... "Rousseau never abandoned the republican ideals of his native city. ... It made it possible for most of Rousseau's social group to take the existence of society for granted". ...
Rousseau explains that human evolution and the increase of inequality between people are interconnected. ... Rousseau tries to imagine people in their once natural state, disregarding the traditional influence of biblical rationalisation. ... Natural Right is based on pity and self- preservation because, for Rousseau they were the most basic impulses that existed. ... Rousseau continues by affirming that the modern moral inequality, between people is unnatural and is not the true nature of humankind. ... Rousseau's explanation of the function of society has various stages. ...
As a result of this blame he takes upon himself, Rousseau develops a deep hatred of himself. ... Rousseau views his birth, and the subsequent death of his mother, as a grave misfortune. ... Rousseau describes his conception as "the unhappy fruit of [his father's] return" (19). His birth is not the celebratory occasion for Rousseau as it is for others. ... Because Rousseau sees Mlle. ...
(pg 12) Passion and feeling, for Rousseau, preceded reason and thought. ... The grounds on which Rousseau's account lie seem to be contradictory. This is a valid concern, Rousseau recognizes this as well and he addresses it in his essay. ... Rousseau, in his essay, brings several notions about language into question. ... Rousseau also discusses how the transmittance of passions through language, alters those passions. ...
One of the first and most important questions Rousseau asks is " How can one know inequality without knowing man?" ... Rousseau's enquiry will not deal with historical truths, but with hypothetical and conditional reasoning. ... From his picture of a savage man Rousseau derives the two basic principles of his Discourse: pity and self-preservation. ... According to Rousseau, early society was the happiest epoch. ... Rousseau measures a society by how much freedom it manages to deliver its citizens. ...
