Republic of the Philippines

Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Graduate School

Master in Public Administration
Santa Mesa, City of Manila

The Life and Works of Jean Jacques Rousseau:

French-Swiss Philosopher in the 18th Century Europe in
the Age of Enlightenment

Alvarez, Lean Michael T.

MPA I
Professor: Mrs. Ofelia Empamano
June 28, 2014
 Background of the Study
1. Introduction to the ‘Age of Enlightenment’
A. Ideas and Philosophy
2. Biography of Jean Jacques Rousseau
3. Philosophical Positions
4. Major Contributions
A. Discourse on the Sciences and Art (1750)
B. Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755)
C. The Social Contract (1762)
D. Emile (1762)
E. The Confessions (1762)
 Introduction to the ‘Age of
Enlightenment’
ENLIGHTENMENT
> advance studies and reforms of different disciplines
> intellectual revolution (16th to 18th centuries)

IDEAS AND PHILOSOPHY (18th Century Europe)

> Five Basic Ideas:
1. Naturalism
2. Materialism
3. Optimism
4. Humanitarianism
Jean Jacques Rousseau [ rue-soh’ ]

 Liberal philosopher and social critic

 Promoted political thoughts (French Revolution during the
late 18th century)
 Started the Romantic Movement- ‘Father of Romanticism’
 Championed limited government and democracy, thus
known as the ‘Father of Modern Democracy’
 Promoted the idea of popular sovereignty (popular vote)
and theory of liberal education for children
Biography
Born: June 28, 1712 (Geneva, Switzerland)
Died: July 2, 1778 (Paris, France)

Parents=Isaac Rousseau (Father) and Susannah Bernard (Mother)

EARLY YEARS
 Spents reading with his father
 Gravitated on ‘Lives’ (Plutarch) and ‘Metamorphoses’ (Ovid)
 Developed his political and social ideas
 Transfer at Bossey (1722) and return to Geneva
 Madame de Warens (Father de Pontverre)-1733
 First travel at Paris, France (1742)
- Denis Diderot and the ‘Encyclopédie’
 Met Therese Le Vasseur in 1745 and sired illegitimate children
 Published ‘Émile’ and ‘The Social Contract’ (1762)
 Moved to England in 1766
- David Hume (Scottish philosopher)
- Scandal and paranoia symptoms
 ‘The Confessions’

PHILOSOPHICAL POSITIONS

1. The Enlightenment idea

> society had perverted natural man
> ‘noble savage’

2. Arguments on Arts and Sciences

> purification of humankind
> corruption
3. Social Relationships
> based on inequality

4. Nature of Humans - wholly private realm of intuition and

conscience

5. Historical character of his works

6. Baron de Montesquieu – discovering historical origins of political

obligation.
> Fundamental source of moral obligation

7. Influence to the Romantic Movement

8. Immanuel Kant – credited Rousseau on the discovery about the

nature of freedom
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS

1. Discourse on the Science and Art (1750)

> Questions on the advancements of science and the arts
> Moral degeneration

2. Discourse on the Origins of Inequality (1755)

> Idea of ‘noble savage’
> contrary to the philosophy of Hobbes
> Vices of human beings
> Emergence of private property and the civil society

3. Émile (1762)
> Humans are basically good if developed properly
> Inner growth for passion and virtue
4. The Social Contract (1762)
> He think that it was possible for humankind to return to a
state of nature
> How are humans best to govern their affairs given
present circumstances?
> ‘Politics and morality never be separated’
> Freedom
> Individuals and the state
> ‘General Will’
> Sound Civil Religion

Beliefs:
A. A Supreme Being
B. Personal immortality
C. Ultimate reward of virtue and punishment of vice
D. Principle of toleration
5. The Confessions (1782 after his death)
> Extraordinary biography of Rousseau
> Remarkable in its candour
 Thank You Very Much!
‘Once people begin to live in fixed relations with other
people, freedom is necessarily curtailed.’
Jean Jacques Rousseau