He spent a part of his life in Switzerland, and there is an island dedicated to him, called Rousseau Island, where his influence is significant. He is a very important thinker who has had a profound impact in various countries, particularly contributing to the French Revolution. He also influenced figures like Hegel, Marx, and many others. Born in Geneva to a Calvinist Protestant family, his family had fled from France due to their Calvinist beliefs, seeking refuge in Geneva to live a better life.

Rousseau’s father worked as a palace clockmaker in the Ottoman Empire for a period. His mother died during childbirth, and he was raised by his paternal grandparents. Rousseau left Geneva at the age of 16. He did not come from an aristocratic background but from an ordinary class.

Some of his important works include:

Discourse on Science and Arts
Discourse on the Origins of Inequality
Discourse on Political Economy
The Social Contract
Rousseau’s relationship with the Enlightenment, or what some consider “Counter Enlightenment,” is crucial. He was born during the era of the great Enlightenment debates and is often regarded as part of the Enlightenment. According to some thinkers, Counter Enlightenment is seen as an opposing thought to Enlightenment ideals. Some even extend the roots of post-modernism to Rousseau because he was one of the first to express anti-Enlightenment or anti-scientific ideas. While historically an Enlightenment thinker, his ideas reflect opposing thoughts within the Enlightenment era.

During this period, two major issues were prominent: Enlightenment and the state of nature.

The fundamental concern of Enlightenment was to establish a philosophy independent of any specific traditional culture or religion. The state of nature was also a significant topic during this period, with many attempting to understand and define it. Two important theories about the state of nature emerged: those of Hobbes and Locke.

Rousseau, in his youth, was ambitious and had great hopes. He formed friendships with Enlightenment thinkers in Paris, such as Voltaire and Montesquieu. He was acquainted with these individuals.

At the prestigious Academy of Dijon in France, a competition was organized with the question: “Has the restoration of the sciences and arts tended to purify morals?” Rousseau organized a discourse and invited his close friends. His response was that the restoration of science and arts did not purify morals. He expressed this viewpoint in his work “Discourse on the Science and Arts.” This article led people to consider him a “counter-thinker” or part of the “counter-enlightenment” because Enlightenment was based on the idea of progress. According to Rousseau, wherever science progressed, morals did not necessarily improve. He provided historical examples, citing ancient Greece and Egypt, where despite advances in science, moral development lagged behind. He argued that societies, once built on heroism, eventually succumbed to luxury and pleasure, leading to their downfall. Sparta was an exception, and Plato’s influence on Rousseau is evident in this context.

The second question addressed was: “Why do art and science not play a role in our moral development?”

Rousseau argued that arts and sciences originated from vices such as avarice, superstition, and take time away from moral activities. Astronomy, born from superstition, and geometry, born from avarice, were cited as examples.

Even philosophy comes from human pride; society highlights “talent” in this way. Courage and generosity thus begin to slowly disappear. Of course, there are exceptions, such as Newton and Descartes, but nevertheless, they should become better people and better citizens. What Rousseau particularly emphasizes is that people, through this process, distance themselves from thinking about their friends, their countries, and the poor and disadvantaged. They tend to prioritize themselves more. Rousseau argues that what is truly important for humans is to be more ethical.