Was Rousseau a Totalitarian or a Democrat? His Criticism of Enlightenment Ideals and the Illusion of Progress

Essay from the year 2024 in the subject Philosophy - Philosophy of the 17th and 18th Centuries, , language: English, abstract: This paper explores Rousseau's critique of Enlightenment ideals, his warnings against inequality and self-interest in society, and his influence as a precursor to the Romantic movement. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a prominent philosopher of the French Enlightenment, stood in co...