What If Jean-Jacques Rousseau Were a Modern Blogger?

[Gary Freedman]

Jean Jacques Rousseau was a major philosopher, writer, and composer of the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, whose political philosophy influenced the French Revolution and the development of modern political and educational thought.

For Jean-Jacques Rousseau's biographers the man himself has been as puzzling as his work—a severe moralist who lived a dangerously "relaxed" life, a misanthrope who loved humanity, a cosmopolitan who prided himself on being a "citizen of Geneva," a writer for the stage who condemned the theater, and a man who became famous by writing essays that denounced culture.

In his famous autobiography "The Confessions" he spoke candidly about his sexual "peculiarities"—his lifelong habit of masturbation, his exhibitionism, his youthful pleasure in being beaten, his 33-year liaison with a virtual illiterate, and his numerous affairs—and, characteristic of his later years, his persecution suspicions that reached neurotic intensity.

What if Jean-Jacques Rousseau were a modern blogger? Would his sexual candor have subjected him to accusations that he wanted to stir up emotional arguments?

Perhaps an 18th century Frenchman would have offered the following criticism of Rousseau: "Cher Monsieur Rousseau, I am offended by the way you describe your sexual proclivities. You have been smugly throwing your sexual habits around "because you can" not because it acheives any purpose for your arguments. I do not frequent the salons of Paris or any of the more juvenile social gatherings in the capital, because this sort of language is not to my liking. It is my opinion that you are aware that people are offended by this and behave this way in order to get attention. Indeed, it has been the focus of nearly all your recent writings. I'm glad to see that you have started a group in a private salon where this elementary school behavior is tolerated and hope that henceforth you contain similar writings to that group. Respect to the literate Frenchman is appreciated. Votre amie, Prunella."

[Gary Freedman]

"Taken in total, such confessions compromise less than a fraction of a percent of his work. I doubt she would have noticed - or anyone else for that matter."

Taken in total, the Jews comprise less than a fraction of a percent of the world's population. You would doubt that anyone would notice them at all. But people do!