Born in Geneva, Rousseau was a philosopher, writer and even composer, a restless and controversial figure. He argued that human beings are born good and are corrupted by society, property and inequality. His ideas on popular sovereignty inspired the French Revolution, and his valuing of feeling paved the way for Romanticism.
Core ideas
Human beings are good by nature; it is unequal society that corrupts them
A legitimate government arises from a pact and expresses the general will of the people
Education should respect the child's nature, not stifle it
The tradition: Romantic contractarian
Contractarians explain the state as the result of an agreement among people; Romantics value feeling and nature. Rousseau joins both: a social pact in service of natural goodness.
