Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born on 28 June 1712 in Geneva. A philosopher, writer and composer born in Geneva, Rousseau was a major figure of the Enlightenment, though he was critical of its optimism about progress. In his Discourse on Inequality he argued that civilisation corrupts natural human goodness, and in The Social Contract of 1762 he set out the idea of the general will and the sovereignty of the people. His novel Émile reshaped ideas on education, and his Confessions helped to establish modern autobiography. His books were condemned in France and Geneva and he spent years in exile. His ideas influenced the French Revolution and Romanticism.
Before and after
- from 5 August 1711 to 12 September 1711Siege of Bouchain
- from 10 September 1711 to 11 February 1715Tuscarora War
- 24 January 1712Birth of Frederick II of Prussia
- May 1712Construction of Peter and Paul Cathedral
- 28 June 1712Birth of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- 1713Peace of Utrecht
- 1713Pragmatic Sanction of 1713
- 5 October 1713Birth of Denis Diderot
- 1714Construction of Belvedere
More in Art, literature & culture
- 15th centuryConstruction of Red Square
- 1600Rise of Baroque music
- 1602Publication of Hamlet
- 1670Construction of avenue des Champs-Élysées
- 17th centuryRise of ukiyo-e
- October 1745Publication of God Save the King
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.