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Swiss-born political [[philosopher]] '''Jean Jacques Rousseau''' (1712-1778) was an influential French essayist and prominent [[liberal]] and [[socialist]] social theorist.  He felt that [[politics]] and [[morality]] could not be separated, and that the will of the majority was not always correct.    However, Rousseau also attacked [[private property]], and laid the groundwork for future [[communist]] writers such as [[Karl Marx]].  Rousseau declared that government's goal should be to provide freedom, equality and justice.  But note that freedom often results in inequality.

Swiss-born political [[philosopher]] '''Jean Jacques Rousseau''' (1712-1778) was an influential French essayist and prominent [[liberal]] and [[socialist]] social theorist.  He felt that [[politics]] and [[morality]] could not be separated, and that the will of the majority was not always correct.    However, Rousseau also attacked [[private property]], and laid the groundwork for future [[communist]] writers such as [[Karl Marx]].  Rousseau declared that government's goal should be to provide freedom, equality and justice.  But note that freedom often results in inequality.

Rousseau's most famous work was the "The Social Contract" (1762), which supported a direct [[democracy]] based on a "public will" rather than [[republicanism]] such as that adopted 25 years later by the [[U.S. Constitution]].  In it, he further develops the concept of the "[[social contract]]" established by [[Thomas Hobbes]] and [[John Locke]].  Rousseau disapproved of titles like nobility, and demanded complete equality between all people.

Rousseau's most famous work was the "The Social Contract" (1762), which supported a direct [[democracy]] based on a "general will" rather than [[republicanism]] such as that adopted 25 years later by the [[U.S. Constitution]].  In it, he further develops the concept of the "[[social contract]]" established by [[Thomas Hobbes]] and [[John Locke]].  Rousseau disapproved of titles like nobility, and demanded complete equality between all people.

Rousseau vehemently detested Catholicism along with other institutionalized as well as private forms of Christianity, believing that mankind would be better off with his idea of a civil religion wedded to the state<ref> [http://books.google.com/books?id=IPZa0_Qx0koC&pg=PA16&dq=%22civil+religion%22+rousseau#PPA17,M1 ''Religion as a Public Good''], Alan Mittleman, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003

Rousseau vehemently detested Catholicism along with other institutionalized as well as private forms of Christianity, believing that mankind would be better off with his idea of a civil religion wedded to the state<ref> [http://books.google.com/books?id=IPZa0_Qx0koC&pg=PA16&dq=%22civil+religion%22+rousseau#PPA17,M1 ''Religion as a Public Good''], Alan Mittleman, Rowman & Littlefield, 2003

ISBN 0742531252, 9780742531253, 336 pages, pp. 16-17</ref>.

ISBN 0742531252, 9780742531253, 336 pages, pp. 16-17</ref>. He also believed that the society had a duty toward the poor, to care for them, and to look after them, but interestingly he dumped all 19 of his own illegitimate children in charitable institutions, some of them Roman Catholic and expected them to take care of them.  

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