Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was an 18th century philosopher. His doctrines predominantly pertain to politics and the function of government, his most important work being The Social Contract. He was interested in adapting society to be most effective for human progress. A native Genevan, Rousseau participated in the Enlightenment in Europe, influencing many of the prominent thinkers of his day. Eventually his doctrines were adopted by the French after their revolution.
This book, Emile, or On Education, is considered one of Rousseau's most significant contributions to human society. It addresses both education and the role of the individual in society. Rousseau's goal here appears to be the education of youth so that they may withstand corrupt societies in light of mankind's propensity toward corruption. He uses a boy, Emile, and his tutor to illustrate these ideas.
Originally published in Geneva, the book was widely circulated in France as well. The same year as its publication On Education was banned and burned in both countries. Amid a sweeping push for the preservation of traditional French, the governments of these respective nations considered Rousseau's section on the "Savoyard Vicar" unacceptable. Savoyard was a dialect of a Franco language preceding proper French which the government was trying to eliminate from the public vocabulary for political reasons.
