Rousseau

Background
Rousseau was born in 1712, and died a decade before the French Revolution. He is considered the founder of the Romantic Movement.

He was part of a circle of French intellects, most notably Voltaire who is a french enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher.

Rousseau was anti-enlightenment, he said that the progress of arts and sciences had no beneficial effect on morality, this was a dramatic and permanent break with the principles of the enlightenment.

His most famous work, titled 'Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of inequality among men' outlined that humanity was naturally good, but it had been corrupted by society. The effects of history on us has been compared to the ideology of a sttaue that has be damaged by the elements such as the winds and storms, therefore it is now disfigured and you could barely resemble the fact it like like a human being at all. He suggested that society damages us, and it is only the noble savage* who has not been distorted by society.
*Noble Savage is someone close to nature, who lives outside of society

The Social Contract (oh yes this relates back to good ol' Locke and Hobbes)
"Man is born free, and is everywhere in chains"
Attack on Hobbes - Hobbes believes that life would be "nasty, brutish and short" without a monarchy, "war of all against all" however, Rousseau says that war and such violence only come into being once we are in society, and that the state of war is really the state of society.
Attack on Locke - Locke agrees to a sovereign so that property can be protected, however Rousseau says the main problem is property: "The first person who having enclosed a piece of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple enough to believe him was the true founder of civil society." 
He believed that we are more like animals in our natural state: free agents that operate on our own needs and desires. In addition, he believed that natural man was virtuous and that man is not rational... we are sensitive and this is proven as we have the ability to cry. However, it is society that civilises us and corrupts us by making us obsess about possessions.

The General Will
This is essentially what we all agree on; as a group we discuss and put our opinions together to form laws which we all have agreed upon. Therefore, by following the law you are following your own opinions. Rousseau believe in a direct democracy and that as individuals you represent yourself as you follow what you believe.

Rousseau stated that laws are providing citizens with more freedom as we are following our own opinions. If it turns out during the discussion that there is a majority vote, thus meaning there is a minority of people who disagree with their opinion, they are will be "forced to be free."


The French Revolution
"Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven" - Wordsworth
Men are born free and remain free and equal in rights. Revolution collapsed into terror, and mindless violence was used by the Paris mob. During 1792 Paris looked as though it was going to be attacked by Prussia which led to the Paris Citizens becoming armed. In 1793 the King was executed with a guillotine. The French revolution brought about a time of famine, rising food prices and the government were in masses of debt due to war. During this period in history, hundreds of thousands of people were killed.