Jean-Jacques Rousseau

(1712–1778) · Swiss Philosopher

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss philosopher, writer, and composer who played a key role in the Enlightenment. His ideas on social contract theory, human freedom, and popular sovereignty influenced the French Revolution and the development of modern political and economic thought. Rousseau believed that civilization had weakened humanity's natural liberty and that a free society would be guided by the "general will" of its citizens.