Painting by Amedo Modigalini

The social, economic and political conditions in France at the time of Rousseau could be best described as miserable. There was large scale discontent, corruption and misrule. Rousseau’s thoughts so influenced the people of France that it paved the way for French revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte was constrained to remark that ‘if there was no Rousseau, there might never had been a revolution in France.’ He culturally provided an inspiration to Romantic movement.

Rousseau was born in 1712 at Geneva in Switzerland. Later he moved to France. His education started at an early age and he started reading books from his father’s library at the age of 6. Rousseau started writing essays around 1742. His articles were on social and political subjects, which had direct effect on the people. His principles of ‘General Will’ and ‘Return to Nature’ had great impact. His dictum that ‘man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains’, was a revolutionary concept. Apart from politics, this new stream of thought influenced philosophy, literature and arts. The French revolution of 1789 was influenced by his thoughts and ideology.