Culturethèque
300 years of Rousseau: the Philosopher of the Enlightenment
Jean Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva in 1712, renowned for his famous work called ‘The Social Contract’. Rousseau died in 1778 and in 1794 his remains were taken to the Panthéon in Paris by French revolutionaries.
This year marks his 300th anniversary and UCL are hosting a free public exhibition called Rousseau 300: Nature, Self and State.
Admission is free, and the exhibition is open to the public Mon-Fri 1-5pm.
If you want to find out a bit more about Rousseau before you visit the exhibition take a look at the BBC documentary The Romantics (2005), in particular the episode on Liberty which explores the birth of the individual in modern society.
If you’re visiting Geneva then The Espace Rousseau, a museum in the philosopher’s home in the Old Town, looks like its worth a visit.
Rousseau’s central political idea is concerned with how we as individuals can be as free as possible whilst choosing to be a member of society. For a comparison to modern ideas, such as David Cameron’s
‘Big Society’, see Julian Baggini’s article from the Guardian archives.
Emile and The Social Contract are also available to read on Culturetheque. Also: a biography of JJR, an analysis of his thought about man, JJR at 20 years old, Les Confessions, and Les rêveries du promeneur solitaire.
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