The Confessions of Jeanjacques Rousseau

Research papers on Rousseau's The Confessions are frequently assigned as research in philosophy courses or world history or French history classes. Paper Masters can focus a custom research paper for you on The Confessions from any angle you need it written.

The French Revolution of 1789 has been linked to a wide range of causes and ideas, including class uprisings, the impact of the American Revolution, as well as writings of philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The writings of Rousseau and others created a fertile environment for the revolution, and influenced many of its leaders. His autobiographical book, titled The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, was one of the texts that was believed to influence the French Revolution. This term paper will compare and contrast the relationship between Rousseau's Confessions with the ideals of the French Revolution, as well as discuss the impact of Rousseau's Confessions on the leaders of the Revolution. This examination will demonstrate the following:

1. The autobiographical nature of Rousseau's Confessions makes the book open to a wide range of interpretation.
2. Rousseau's Confessions does express a view of individuality that may have influenced many revolutionaries.
3. There is also a deep, mystical respect for nature within The Confessions.
4. The Confessions contains an aristocratic quality that is at odds with many of the essential ideals of the French Revolution.

Rousseau's The Confessions

Rousseau's The Confessions was first published in 1772 and predated the French Revolution of 1789 by seventeen years, yet the work was considered by scholars to be a source of inspiration for many of the ideals expressed during the Revolution. Confessions is divided into twelve books, beginning with Rousseau's childhood from 1712 to 1719 in Book One, and concluding in Book Twelve with his expulsion from France in 1765, and an account of fleeing to Switzerland and England. Although the details of the autobiography are interesting, despite their veracity being questioned by several sources, it was the themes expressed in Confessions that had the strongest impact on the French Revolution.