Most people know of Rousseau and his work, but very little is known about the man. This presentation, compiled by Ademir França, my student, provides some information and curiosities about the personal life of this Philosopher.

2. Childhood and Youth
• Rousseau, was born in Geneva, 1712 when Geneva was a
independent country (Republic of Geneva).
• Son of Isaac Rousseau, a clock maker, and Suzanne Bernard, who
tragically died only a few days after his birth.
• Isaac Rousseau took care of his son until he was 10.
• During the teenage years, he studied in a strict religiuos school and
was taught by Pastor Lambercier.

3. Childhood and Youth

4. Adult
• Rousseau, inovated many things on music area. During his adulthood,
he was successful with the opera “Le devin du village” and composed
seven other operas.
• As a composer, his music was a merge between late Baroque and
emergent Classical period.
• One of his more well-known works is the one-act opera “Le devin du
village” which contains the duet "Non, Colette n'est point
trompeuse“, which was later rearranged by Beethoven.
• He was self-taught on music. He composed some concerts and
operas. Find below some examples:
• Some compositions on http://imslp.org. (Internet Music Score Library Project)
• Search on Youtube for: “Le Devin du Village (intermède, 1752)"

5. Religion
• Rousseu converted to Roman Catholicism but returned to the
Calvinism from Geneva, his original region. Unlike many of the more
radical Enlightenment philosophers, Rousseau affirmed the necessity
of religion. But he repudiated the doctrine of original sin, important
part of Calvinism. In his book “Emile” he writes "there is no original
perversity in the human heart“
• In the 18th century, many deists saw God as an abstract and
impersonal creator of universe. Rousseau's deism differed from the
others, he saw the presence of God in His creation, including
humanity.
• He was upset because his deistic view was condemned while the
more atheistic philosophers were ignored.

6. Relationship
• During his 20, he had an affair with a “De Warens”, whom he idolized
and called “maman”. She had an intimate relationship with Rousseau
and he butler. The sexual aspect of their relationship (in fact a
ménage à trois) confused Rousseau and made him uncomfortable,
but he always considered De Warens the greatest love of his life.
• Thanks to his devotion, De Warens tried to get him started in a
profession. She arranged some music lessons for Rousseau. In
another moment of his life, he briefly attended a seminary and
maybe become a priest!

7. Family
• Son of Isaac Rousseau and Suzanne Bernard, he was married to
Thérèse Levasseur.
• According to Rousseau, Thérèse bore him five children, all of whom
were given to the Enfants-Trouvés foundling home. The first, in 1746
and the others in 1747, 1748, 1751, and 1752.
• They went through a legally invalid marriage ceremony at Bourgoin on
August 29, 1768. Therese provided Rousseau with support and care,
and when he died, she was the sole inheritor of his belongings,
including manuscripts and royalties.

8. Activity Period
• In 1762, Rousseau was accused in France because his works were
considered an insult to the traditional religions. Rousseau needed to
move to Neuchatel, Switzerland, where he was born, and waited for
the situation to be better.
• In 1765, he moved to England accepting the invitation from David
Hume.
• In 1767, he returned to France where he met his wife, Therese.
• The “Social Contract” is considered his MasterPiece in which
Rousseau states that people are born good and society modifies
them. The same way, in this book, Rousseau says the society lives
“according to a contract” with Government, people support the
Government if they receive protection and organization in return.

9. Major Works
• Dissertation sur la musique moderne, 1736
• Discourse on the Arts and Sciences (Discours sur les sciences et les arts), 1750
• Narcissus, or The Self-Admirer: A Comedy, 1752
• Le devin du village: an opera, 1752, score PDF (21.7 MB)
• Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men (Discours sur l'origine et les fondements de l'inégalité parmi les hommes), 1754
• Discourse on Political Economy, 1755
• Letter to M. D'Alembert on Spectacles, 1758 (Lettre à d'Alembert sur les spectacles)
• Julie, or the New Heloise (Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse), 1761
• Emile, or On Education (Émile, ou de l'éducation), 1762
• The Creed of a Savoyard Priest, 1762 (in Émile)
• The Social Contract, or Principles of Political Right (Du contrat social), 1762
• Four Letters to M. de Malesherbes, 1762
• Pygmalion: a Lyric Scene, 1762
• Letters Written from the Mountain, 1764 (Lettres de la montagne)
• Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Les Confessions), 1770, published 1782
• Constitutional Project for Corsica, 1772
• Considerations on the Government of Poland, 1772
• Essay on the Origin of Languages, published 1781 (Essai sur l'origine des langues)
• Reveries of a Solitary Walker, incomplete, published 1782 (Rêveries du promeneur solitaire)
• Dialogues: Rousseau Judge of Jean-Jacques, published 1782

10. • Rousseau was initially buried at Ermenonville on
the Ile des Peupliers, which became a place of
pilgrimage for his many admirers. Sixteen years
after his death, his remains were moved to the
Panthéon in Paris in 1794, where they are
located directly across from those of his
contemporary, Voltaire. His tomb, shaped a rustic
temple, on which a bas-relief (low relief in
French) arm reaches out, bearing the torch of
liberty, evokes Rousseau's deep love of nature
and of classical antiquity.
• In 2002, the Space Rousseau was established at
40 Grand-Rue, Geneva, Rousseau's birthplace.

11. References
• http://www.infoescola.com/filosofia/jean-jacques-rousseau/
• http://revistaescola.abril.com.br/formacao/filosofo-liberdade-como-
valor-supremo-423134.shtml
• http://www.egs.edu/library/jean-jacques-rousseau/biography/
• http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau#Youth