Can we say that the ideas of Zh-J Rousseau were the most radical in comparison with other
Can we say that the ideas of Zh-J Rousseau were the most radical in comparison with other representatives of the Enlightenment?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a French philosopher, writer, teacher, composer. He was one of the greatest people of his era – the Age of Enlightenment. The 18th century received such a characteristic because of the colossal rise of social thought; the events that took place then formed the basis of modern politics, humanistic values, and the principles of democracy. At the same time, the current foundations were laid, ranging from government to etiquette. Representatives of the Enlightenment era set themselves global goals, such as the dissemination of humanistic ideas, scientific and cultural knowledge.
The main theses of the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau
It is not the state that should govern the people, but vice versa. The people themselves should be in power.
Reason is not always superior to feeling.
Money and private property negatively affect a person.
So can we say that Rousseau’s ideas were more radical to us in comparison with the ideas of his contemporaries? Yes, after all, it was Jean-Jacques Rousseau who argued that all power should come from the people, and only the people have the right to legislate. He was also categorical in relation to private property, considering it the source of all the troubles of society (not only modern, but throughout history). He considers her appearance to be the cause of social inequality as such. He put forward the idea of compulsory labor for all members of society, unlike his contemporary Voltaire, Rousseau did not agree with formal equality.
Reminiscences of Rousseau’s ideas
The ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau that were radical for their time in various interpretations and their echoes are found in many spheres of modern society. First of all, his works and a call for freedom, equality, brotherhood influenced the leaders of the Great French Revolution, the mood of which was soon picked up by the best minds of the era, which subsequently led to a new world order. Rousseau’s revised ideas can be found in the US Declaration of Independence, and later in the American modern constitution. His innovative pedagogical principles formed the basis of the current education system in many countries around the world.
