Rousseau: a man of many contradictions
A discourse on the arts and sciences
I am made unlike anyone I have ever met; I will even venture to say that I am like no one in the whole world. I may be no better, but at least I am different.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva in 1712. His mother died in childbirth, and his father was forced to flee the country after assaulting a French officer, leaving Rousseau in the care of a rich uncle. Growing up in an alpine environment kindled Rousseau’s love of nature. It also taught him the virtues of rural life; respect for manual labour, spontaneous friendship, patriotic self-sacrifice, hatred of injustice, and arbitrary power. Yet his life was full of contradictions. He valued friendship but died alone. He wrote a book on education (Emile), in which he advocated duty and moral education. Yet in real life, he abandoned his five children to an orphanage, stating they would be better off not knowing him. Civic duty encapsulated his patriotism and love of country, but he was chased out of three countries.
