Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The son of Suzanne Bernard and Isaac Rousseau, a watchmaker, Jean-Jacques was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1712. His mother’s death when he was less than a month old contributed to his portrayal of Emile as an orphan. Rousseau’s Confessions reveal how his childhood experiences shaped his educational ideas in Emile. His essays on economics, politics, religion, and education sparked intense controversy in the eighteenth century and still cause lively discussion today.