Jean Jaques Rousseau

To fully understand Rousseau, one must fully understand his background. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born on June 28th, 1712, in Geneva Switzerland. His mother died directly after his birth, so his father, aunt, and uncle raised him. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's father, Issaac Rousseau, was a native clockmaker of Switzerland. He encouraged reading and had keen appreciation for nature, which shows in Jean-Jacques's late writings. Rousseau's father abandoned him at the age of sixteen, at which time Jean-Jacques became a vagabond. He traveled all around Europe, until he came to France, where he met Madame Louise de Warens. Madame Louise de Warens was both a mother figure and a lover to Rousseau. Through this woman, Rousseau was introduced to the noble society in France. Rousseau circled through many jobs while, most of them focused on teaching. However, Rousseau could never keep a job because he was very independent. He was often fired because he told his boss' the truth about their behavior: ignorant and arrogant. In 1742, Rousseau fled to Paris to find yet another job. This is where he met a friend that would be with him for years: Denis Diderot. Diderot gave him a job of writing the music section of Diderot's French Encyclopedia. Three years later, Rousseau took a job teaching music. He lived in a hotel, where he met Therese Lavasseur. They were never married, but lived with each other for many years. They had five children who were all sent to orphanages because Jean Jacques believed that he wouldn't raise them right- he was very apologetic about this decision later in his life. Jean Jacques Rousseau died on July 2, 1778, after writing a number of influential books.

The Social Contract

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"Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains" The Social Contract (1762).

The beliefs in this book shouldn't be swept under the rug, even today, when modern politicians should understand these ideals adequately. The Social Contract talks about many things, one of them being government, the other idea, is the importance of society. Nature is brutal. Without law or morality there aren't good men. Nature offers man to a state of competition, in which man responds by forming a bond with another man, which creates a society. "The Social Contract" is the agreement to among men that set the conditions for membership in society. In The Social Contract, Rousseau speaks of the ideal government. He defines the "general will" as the good for everyone in the created society. Rousseau counters this by explaining that if a "particular will" is pursued instead of the "general will", then the contract is broken. President Bush continues a war over seas when this decision is clearly against the will of the country and the good of the country. He is then, as defined, pursuing a "particular will" and putting the people he is supposed to be serving into harm. He has broken the contract.

"Never exceed your rights, and they will soon become unlimited."

Émile

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"To endure is the first thing that a child ought to learn, and that which he will have the most need to know." Emile (1755)

Rousseau makes four points about education in his book Emile. (One)Children shouldn't be viewed as innocent, vulnerable, or naïve; they are entitled to freedom and happiness such as adults. (Two)As children grow older, their mind and body undergo a set of changes. At such changes, and stages of development, the educator must introduce other forms of teaching to realize the comprehension of the student. For example, saying the word "poopy" around second graders causes them to engage in a giggle tantrum, just as saying "sex" makes middle school students shift in their seats. It has been shown that teenager's body clock wakes up at nine in the morning and doesn't go to sleep until eleven at night; therefore, the school systems should adapt to the teenagers peek hours of alertness, in the afternoon. (Three)Children are individuals, they are different from each other; such should each of their education. Another example: children with Down Syndrome learn differently and should be treated differently from other children. (Four)Children should be taught to reason and come up with their own ideas, not just be spoon-fed. Rousseau gives his own example when the character of his novel breaks a window, only to find out that he stays cold when the window stays broken. One last note: Rousseau believed that man should be closest to nature as possible, but also around other men (such as in the country or suburbs), where he can be free. Education is supposed to be about learning how to live. We shouldn't take Rousseau's writings as a grain of salt. As children grow older their mind and body undergo a state of change, of which their education should accommodate. The schooling system now-a-days for teenagers should be changed so the student get the best possible hours in school when they're awake. The WASL and other standardized tests inhibit unwanted amounts of stress on regular and special needs students. How will a special needs student ever pass the WASL if he is still learning his fine motor skills? Children shouldn't be spoon-fed information or else they'll never learn. If a child growing up with privileges isn't taught how to survive on his own, then he'll never be independent. Our society has become obsessed with money and possessions, which Rousseau says is what turns us evil. Education is supposed to be about how to live: treating yourself and others correctly.

Discourse on the Arts and Science

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"Why should we build our own happiness on the opinions of others, when we can find it in our own hearts?" (Discourse on the Arts and Science, 1750)

During Rousseau's earlier writings, the Discourses, he discussed the corruption of civilization towards people; even though he believes in a social contract, he also believes in the materialism, jealousy, and selfishness that is modern civilization. Rousseau uses his ideas of independent thought to support the manipulation of evil people in the quote stated above. Although Rousseau believes people to be naturally good, he believes that the new inventions of the modern world will soon destroy our morals. He also preaches that the knowledge we seek is also in the hands of powerful people that may use this knowledge to manipulate their subjects. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was right about civilization corrupting all morals. This is shown in our recent past and present. During the Nineteen-Forties the world was in the mist of it's second world war; fortunately, or unfortunately, the scientific discoveries of the time gave us the most destructive weapon ever to be used: Atom Bomb. The Atom Bomb killed many people, and effected many other people's lives. All over what? A difference in government, or the greed for control. Not just recently, but it's easily explained by the present, American's cling on to every word the media supplies them. First, because of the American media, American's love their president, then, because of the media, they don't. Hollywood contributes movies, music, and other forms of entertainment that exhibited a switch in morals, for example: violence, premarital sex, drugs, and abortion. But it's not just the United States of America, all around the world people are bending their morals or religious laws over materialistic ideals. The war in Iraq is a perfect example of greed for power and materialism. The Arab countries are sitting on the gold egg that the Anglo countries want; thus, a war, destruction, selfishness, jealousy. It is as if Jean-Jacques Rousseau and other enlightened thinkers were psychic.