Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Portrait of Rousseau in 1753
Born: 28 June 1712
Died: 2 July 1778
Literary Biography: Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote about a variety of subjects, including political philosophy, music, literature, and education. Beyond his treatises and essays, he also wrote novels and a famous autobiography, Confessions (1782).
Impact on Children's Literature: Rousseau's Emile; or, On Education (1762) promoted a conscious effort to develop a child's moral character. And, like Anna Laetitia Barbauld and Ellenor Fenn a few decades later, Rousseau was one of the first to recognize that there are different stages in a child's development. Unfortunately, Rousseau limited his ideas about rational education to male children, claiming that women should only be educated for the pleasure of men.
Died: 2 July 1778
Literary Biography: Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote about a variety of subjects, including political philosophy, music, literature, and education. Beyond his treatises and essays, he also wrote novels and a famous autobiography, Confessions (1782).
Impact on Children's Literature: Rousseau's Emile; or, On Education (1762) promoted a conscious effort to develop a child's moral character. And, like Anna Laetitia Barbauld and Ellenor Fenn a few decades later, Rousseau was one of the first to recognize that there are different stages in a child's development. Unfortunately, Rousseau limited his ideas about rational education to male children, claiming that women should only be educated for the pleasure of men.