Changes

In his private life Rousseau was selfish, irresponsible and an exploiter of women. He never married, but as a young man had a liaison with an older woman named Mme de Warens. At the age of 32, he took up with an illiterate laundress, Therese Levasseur, who bore him eight children. Rousseau sent all of them to be brought up in an orphanage because, as he explained in the second volume of his own ''Confessions'', he was far too busy writing and being famous to rear or support children. As a modern critic comments "the famed theoretician of enlightened child rearing and family values recounted his decision to place in an orphanage the eight children he had sired by his common-law wife, Therese Levasseur." <ref> Gender and Utopia in the Eighteenth Century: Essays in English and French Utopian Writing, ed. Brenda Tooley, Routledge, 2016. </ref>

In his private life Rousseau was selfish, irresponsible and an exploiter of women. He never married, but as a young man had a liaison with an older woman named Mme de Warens. At the age of 32, he took up with an illiterate laundress, Therese Levasseur, who bore him eight children. Rousseau sent all of them to be brought up in an orphanage because, as he explained in the second volume of his own ''Confessions'', he was far too busy writing and being famous to rear or support children. As a modern critic comments "the famed theoretician of enlightened child rearing and family values recounted his decision to place in an orphanage the eight children he had sired by his common-law wife, Therese Levasseur." <ref> Gender and Utopia in the Eighteenth Century: Essays in English and French Utopian Writing, ed. Brenda Tooley, Routledge, 2016. </ref>

Rousseau knew that the infant mortality in these institutions was high, more than half, and as it turned out most of the children he sent there died. <ref> World History, Volume I, by William J. Duiker, ‎Jackson J. Spielvogel, 2008 </ref>

Rousseau knew that the infant mortality in these institutions was high, more than half, and as it turned out most of the children he sent there died. <ref> World History, Volume I, by William J. Duiker, ‎Jackson J. Spielvogel, 2008 </ref>

Rousseau moreover treated his common-law wife like a servant and in later life tried to blame her for his decision to abandon the children, calling her "ignorant, stupid, and a detestable mother".<ref> Reason and Revelation: From Paul to Pascal, by Richard H. Akeroyd - 1991.</ref>

Rousseau moreover treated his common-law wife like a servant and in later life tried to blame her for his decision to abandon the children, calling her "ignorant, stupid, and a detestable mother". <ref> Reason and Revelation: From Paul to Pascal, by Richard H. Akeroyd - 1991.</ref>

<ref> ''Defense and Complaint of Therese Levasseur [Defense et Plainte de Therese Levasseur]'' by Isabelle de Charriere, Paris, 1790. </ref>

<ref> ''Defense and Complaint of Therese Levasseur [Defense et Plainte de Therese Levasseur]'' by Isabelle de Charriere, Paris, 1790. </ref>

<ref> ''Jean-Jacques: The Early Life and Work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1754,'' by Maurice Cranston, University of Chicago Press, 1991. </ref>

<ref> ''Jean-Jacques: The Early Life and Work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1712-1754,'' by Maurice Cranston, University of Chicago Press, 1991. </ref>

==Influence==

==Influence==

His most important work, ''The Social Contract'', supplied a blueprint for the French Revolution and Reign of Terror.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=o5fcBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA35 Melancholy Duty: The Hume-Gibbon Attack on Christianity], "Rousseau's ''Contrat Social'' provided the philosophical and ideological ammunition for the conduct of the Revolution."</ref>  In addition, the [[Declaration of the Rights of Man]] had been made in large part in respect to his philosophical views on governance.  ''Social Contract'' was translated into English in 1913 by [[G. D. H. Cole]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iOzBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT2 On the Social Contract]</ref>  He was also responsible for several of the aspects of modern education, including especially early childhood education, via his work ''Emile: or On Education''.

Rousseau's most important work, ''The Social Contract'', supplied a blueprint for the French Revolution and Reign of Terror.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=o5fcBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA35 Melancholy Duty: The Hume-Gibbon Attack on Christianity], "Rousseau's ''Contrat Social'' provided the philosophical and ideological ammunition for the conduct of the Revolution."</ref>  In addition, the [[Declaration of the Rights of Man]] had been made in large part in respect to his philosophical views on governance.  ''Social Contract'' was translated into English in 1913 by [[G. D. H. Cole]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iOzBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT2 On the Social Contract]</ref>  He was also responsible for several of the aspects of modern education, including especially early childhood education, via his work ''Emile: or On Education''.

Although Rousseau is revered as a philosopher by the left-wing, [[Paul Johnson]]'s book ''[[Intellectuals]]'' demonstrated that the Enlightenment sage was a veritable psychopath and a liar, also citing other people from that time who expressed similar views.<ref>[http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/Z5260P.pdf Excerpt from Paul Johnson's ''Intellectuals''] on thedivineconspiracy.org</ref>

Although Rousseau is revered as a philosopher by the left-wing, [[Paul Johnson]]'s book ''[[Intellectuals]]'' demonstrated that the Enlightenment sage was a veritable psychopath and a liar, also citing other people from that time who expressed similar views.<ref>[http://www.thedivineconspiracy.org/Z5260P.pdf Excerpt from Paul Johnson's ''Intellectuals''] on thedivineconspiracy.org</ref>