Episode 49: Jean Jacques Rousseau

We continue our series on the philosophical and intellectual climate that preceded the two World Wars. In this episode, we discusss Jean Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau is known as the father of 18th century Romanticism. The Romantics sought to liberate human beings from the constraints of conventional morality. Rousseau believed that Science and the Arts had done more harm than good to humanity. He idealized hunter-gatherers, although he himself lived in fancy hotels paid for by his wealthy female patrons. Bertrand Russel said of Rousseau: “…the dictatorships of Russia and Germany are in part an outcome of Rousseau’s teaching. What further triumphs the future has to offer to his ghost I do not venture to predict.” Find out why in this exciting episode! Send queries to [email protected].