Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a philosopher born in Geneva, Switzerland, and is best known for his work Du contrat social (The Social Contract). Rousseau believed humans are good by nature but corrupted by society. According to him, humans in the state of nature have few desires. Interactions with others lead to corruption; education is one way to restore human beings to their natural state. Rousseau wrote one of the first protomodern theses on education. In Emile, or On Education, he emphasized the curiosity approach rather than teacher-centered learning. His ideas on education were not appreciated by his contemporaries, notably Voltaire and feminist
philosophers.

     Rousseau was born into an ordinary family. His father, a horologer in Geneva, abandoned him when he was eight. He was later supported by Madame de Warens, an aristocrat from Chambery, who introduced him to literature, philosophy, and art. In 1750, Rousseau won the prize of the Academy of Dijon with his essay Discours sur les sciences et les arts (Discourse on the Sciences and Arts), which made him famous.

     Rousseau and Voltaire were both principal philosophers of the Enlightenment.
Rousseau emphasized on social equality and education, while Voltaire emphasized
individualism and freedom.

     Rousseau, 18 years younger than Voltaire, admired Voltaire during his early years. In
1745, Rousseau was appointed by the Duke of Richelieu to collaborate with Voltaire on an
abridged version of Voltaire’s comédie-ballet La Princesse de Navarre (The Princess of
Navarre). They engaged in frequent exchanges of correspondence during this period.
However, the great respect Rousseau held for Voltaire was not reciprocated.

     Voltaire’s real name is François-Marie Arouet. Born on November 21, 1694, in Paris,
Voltaire was the fifth child of a wealthy lawyer family. He was educated in the famous JesuitCollège Louis-le-Grand. Success came early to him, with his first tragedy Œdipe, being a
massive hit in 1717. From early on, Voltaire was unhappy with his family name, Aouet, as he
believed it caused confusion due to its similar pronunciation to the poet Adenes le Roi’s
name. It is known that Voltaire used no less than 178 different pen names during his lifetime.

     Eager for honors, Voltaire frequented the Court of Versailles, became the
historiographer of King Louis XV, and entered the French Academy in 1746. He was forced
into exile in England because he criticized French authorities. Voltaire became a follower of
the English philosopher John Locke, later introducing Locke’s ideas to continental Europe.
His mode of expression and sparkling wit are legendary, best exemplified in his novel
Candide.

     The most noted criticism of Rousseau came from Voltaire. He not only despised Emile
but also published an anonymous pamphlet uncovering the secret that Rousseau abandoned
the five children he had with his partner Marie-Thérèse Levasseur.
Historians are still debating why Rousseau abandoned all his five children to the
foundling hospital.

   The following is Rousseau’s explanation:
Five children were born of [our] liaison, and all were placed in the Foundling’s
Hospital, and with so little thought of the possibility of their identification that I did
not even keep a record of their dates of birth [or of their gender]. For several years
now, the self-reproach which my neglectful behavior has aroused in me has disturbed
my peace of mind and I am about to die [a frequent condition in Rousseau’s life]
without being able to remedy it, much to the mother’s and my own regret.

     Even prominent Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau and Voltaire, despite them
advocating for freedom, democracy, and education, were not exempt from biases, rivalry, and
eco-centrism. As we reflect on their ideas, it is important to maintain critical thinking and
avoid blind trust in any individual, no matter how renowned they are. Rousseau and Voltaire,
just like many other figures from history, had their limits.

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