Jean-Jacques Rousseau was an 18th century French political philosopher, educationist, and essayist. He was born in Geneva in 1712 and had little formal education. Rousseau believed that mankind is naturally good but corrupted by society. He advocated for education that follows natural human development and allows children to remain uncorrupted. Rousseau's most influential work was Emile, published in 1762, which outlined the ideal education of the title character Emile and his female counterpart Sophie through following their natural development.

1.  Political Philosopher of the 18th century
 Educationist and essayist
 Born at Geneva on June 28th, 1712
 His mother died in childbirth
 In 1722 his father left him.

2. In 1746, at 28 years, Rousseau went first to Lyon, as tutor, then to Paris, where he
met Diderot, Condillac and other thinkers linked to Enlightenment.
He then lived a life with few resources.
He collaborated in the creation of the 'Encyclopedia';
He was secretary of the French ambassador in Venice.
He became known with the books “Discourse on Science and Arts”, and the
“Discourse on the Origin of Inequality”.

3.  He didn’t have any formal education
 Leader of the Naturalistic Movement
 Everything is good when it comes from God´s hand but due to the influence of the society.
 Education comes to us by nature.

4. Social and Political Theory of ROUSSEAU:
The struggle for power and
goods causes all evils and
corruptions.

5. For him, the child is the center of educational activity;
The child is naturally “good”; Must be educated or will be "wild" = "bad."
It’s the society that corrupts mankind.

6. We must consider him a pedagogue,
philosopher and politician, whose ideas
had and still have huge influence.

7. MOST INFLUENTIAL WORK
Emile 1762
The text is divided into five books: the first three are dedicated to the child Emile, the
fourth to an exploration of the adolescent, and the fifth to outlining the education of his
female counterpart Sophie, as well as to Emile's domestic and civic life.
Life story of a fictional man named Èmile. In it, Rousseau traces the course of Èmile’s
development and the education he receives, an education designed to create in him all the
virtues of Rousseau’s idealized “natural man,” uncorrupted by modern society.

8. “Everything is good as it comes from the
hands of the Maker of the world but
degenerates once it gets into the hands
of man.”
Rousseau