By Jean-Jacques Rousseau, eBook Provided by Penn State University

Confessions is an autobiographical book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In modern times, it is often published with the title The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in order to distinguish it from St. Augustine of Hippo's Confessions, the book from which Jean-Jacques Rousseau took the title for his own book. Covering the first fifty-three years of Rousseau's life, up to 1765, it was completed in 1770, but not published until 1782, four years after Rousseau's death.

In his Confessions Jean-Jacques Rousseau tells the story of his life, from the formative experience of his humble childhood in Geneva, through the  chievement of international fame as novelist and philosopher in Paris, to his wanderings as an exile, persecuted by governments and alienated from the world of modern civilization. In trying to explain who he was and how he came to be the object of others' admiration and abuse, Rousseau analyses with unique insight the  elationship between an elusive but essential inner self and the variety of social identities he was led to adopt.

The book vividly illustrates the mixture of moods and motives that underlie the writing of autobiography: defiance and  ulnerability, self-exploration and denial, passion, puzzlement, and detachment. Above all, Confessions is Rousseau's search, through every resource of language, to convey what he despairs of putting into words: the personal quality of one's own existence.

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Philosopher

• Born: 28 June 1712
• Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
• Died: 2 July 1778
• Best Known As: Author of The Social Contract

Mostly self-educated in Switzerland, Jean-Jacques Rousseau ended up in Paris, France in the 1740s and became acquainted with Voltaire and Denis Diderot. Rousseau published Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality in 1754, arguing that the natural, moral state of man had been corrupted by society. In 1762 he published The Social Contract (with it's famous opening line, "Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains."), and Emile, a novel that illustrated his ideas in education. After settling in England in 1766, Rousseau wrote his Confessions, now considered to be a forerunner of the modern autobiography. He returned to France in 1770 and eventually died in Ermenonville, plagued by fears of persecution. Rousseau's political philosophy had a profound influence on the evolution of the liberal democratic state in Europe and America during the 18th century.

FOUR GOOD LINKS

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  Hyperlinked biographical essay, with a list of further readings
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss/French Philosopher
  Good introduction to his ideas and influence
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau Association
  They provide a nice page of links to other resources
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  Right on! He was June 2003's "Philosopher of the Month"

Online texts:

• Emile French text and English translation (Grace G. Roosevelt's revision and correction of Barbara Foxley's Everyman translation, at Columbia)
• Mondo Politico Library's presentation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's book, The Social Contract (G.D.H. Cole translation; full text)
• Wikisource, texts in French
• 'Elementary Letters on Botany', 1771-3 English translation
• A Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences English translation
• Narcissus, or The Self-Admirer: A Comedy English translation
• Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men English translation
• Discourse on Political Economy English translation
• The Creed of a Savoyard Priest English translation
• The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right English translation
• Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau English translation, as published by Project Gutenberg, 2004 [EBook #3913]
• Constitutional Project for Corsica English translation
• Considerations on the Government of Poland English translation
• Works by Jean-Jacques Rousseau at Project Gutenberg

External links:

• Comprehensive resource on Rousseau (in French) at the MEMO site.
• Rousseau Association/Association Rousseau, a bilingual association (English and French) devoted to the study of Rousseau's life and works
• The European Enlightenment: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau page at Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

(From Answers.com)

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