Rousseau; Background Flashcards
Rousseau full name?
Jean Jacques Rousseau
What is Rousseau’s nationality?
Where was he born/ spent his early life?
He is Swiss, he was born in Geneva and spent his early life in Geneva.
Is Geneva a republic or monarch?
It is a republic and proud of its republican tradition, its also a city state.
What body part does Rousseau think republicanism is in?
His bones.
The Swiss republic is a blend of two types of governments, what are they and what are their functions?
- Blend of democratic government and aristocratic government.
- General council of all citizens of the city (only 1500) but key administration of the city carried out by a council of elites.
What happened to Rousseau’s mother?
She died in childbirth
Who raised Rousseau
Rousseau was raised by his father.
Why was Rousseau left without his father in Geneva?
He got in an altercation and had to flee the city without Rousseau.
What was Rousseau forced to do at a young age?
His father stopped spending money, so he apprenticed himself to an engraver. He had very humble origins.
How did Rousseau’s master treat him? (the engraver who apprenticed him)
His master was brutal, beat him frequently but Rousseau had no choice as very poor. This is Rousseau’s experience of being dominated by a master.
Did Rousseau leave Geneva or live there his whole life?
He left the city of Geneva with only the clothes on his back.
What was Rousseau’s life characterised by?
movement.
What is someone who wanders from place to place without a home or a job?
A vagabond.
Who does Rousseau seek refuge with when he leaves Geneva?
Why is his genevan citizenship revoked?
He seeks refuge in a catholic hospice in Turin and had to convert to catholicism. By converting, he revoked his genevan citizenship.
When did Rousseau die? When did the French revolution kick off?
Rousseau died in 1778 and French Revolution kicks off in 1789.
