Jean Jacques RousseauAlthough best known for his work in philosophy, Jean Jacques Rousseau contributed to many other fields during his life. He not only drew on contemporary moral, political and educational thought, but also developed the subjects of musical composition and writing. His ideas and achievements preceded many historical and modern thinkers, who use these ideas to continue to improve and develop the fields of education, philosophy, government, and music today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Rousseau's most obvious influence has been on later philosophers and political theorists; many of his ideas are clearly paralleled in their works. For example, in Rousseau's book The Social Contract, he talks about the general will; that is, the will and interests of the public as a whole. Immanuel Kant, another 18th century philosopher, later echoed this concept in his own work, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals, with the Categorical Imperative (Cooper), the Obligation of an Autonomous Society (McCormick) . Another example is Rousseau's notion of amourpropre, or self-love, which guided Georg Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit (in which Hegel develops this problem of recognition). Rousseau also argued that citizens will choose just laws because of their own self-interest; this led to Rawls' argument in A Theory of Justice, where he uses the "original position" device to argue that when citizens determine justice, they will be motivated by self-interest and free choice (Bertram) . Rousseau's theories clearly resonated with several philosophers who spanned centuries and laid a solid foundation for later thinkers. Beyond eminent philosophers, Jean Jacques Rousseau also caused a sensation among the general public. In 1750, he wrote his Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts for a writing competition organized by the Academy of Dijon. He won first place after arguing that social improvement corrupts both society as a whole and individual morality (Bertram). The Discourse was Rousseau's first major published success; this shocked contemporary thinkers and provoked a public reaction. The historian and literary critic Lytton Strachey (Alexander) said of Rousseau: "...he possessed a quality which cut him off from his contemporaries, which put an immense gap between him and them: he was modern...he belonged to another world. » (178). Rousseau dared to discuss openly and seriously unconventional topics that caused French citizens – and people in other regions – to question what they considered intrinsic ideas (Conroy). Rousseau's brazen attitude gave impetus to the Enlightenment and caused the rapid spread of his philosophy. Rousseau later used much of this philosophy to lay the foundation for his educational theories. He believed that education should be a natural process, adapted to the child's development, with the child "discovering" concepts with the help of a teacher ("Jean-Jacques Rousseau", 1998). Rousseau's work Emile was one of the first examples pleading in favor of this discovery in the field of education; the standard model of the time defined the teacher as an authority figure who transmitted skills and knowledge based on a curriculum (“Jean-Jacques Rousseau”, 2003). Montessori education, a modern system used by approximately 20,000 schools worldwide (NAMTA),uses many of Rousseau's theories: the fundamental values ​​of the system include "guided choice of professional activity" ("Introduction to Montessori"), with teachers corresponding to the teaching. to the growth of a child. Both systems emphasize the importance of learning not from teachers but from experience and mistakes. Rousseau's ideas also had an impact on 20th-century psychologist John Dewey, who emphasized the importance of student participation in the curriculum in his book My Pedagogic Creed. Dewey may have helped popularize the values ​​of Rousseau and others that led to the Montessori system (Goncalves). Although his theories on education were popular at the time, they are just as relevant in today's society, where people question and debate how public and private school systems work. Rousseau's philosophy also led to changes within the government and existing authorities. In his work Government of Poland, he carefully designed a governmental state with checks and balances, which included inspection by the king, as well as elections and supervision of the Diet (Williams). His firm belief in natural rights and the general will is reflected in the U.S. Constitution, which in turn would shape the governments of other countries. Similarly, the French National Assembly would later incorporate its concept of the general will into the Declaration of the Rights of Man, which states that “the law is the expression of the general will” (Lauritsen). Rousseau's ideas sparked an emotional connection with people and eventually found their way into important historical documents. Rousseau's more obscure but no less important influences survive through music. His opera Le Devin du Village enjoyed such good rehearsals that it was immediately performed in a commissioned performance at Fontainebleau for the royal court. The opera remained popular for centuries and was later performed at the wedding of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette ("Jean-Jacques Rousseau", 2003). Rousseau infused his philosophical ideas into his music, which is probably why it has remained so popular. Since people give up their individual freedoms for society, he therefore believes that music should not be too restrictive when it comes to rules and conventions. He created dynamic, emotional music that exhibited many early characteristics of the Romantic period; indeed, it is possible that his style anticipated this entirely new period of art, literature and music (Bertram). The Soothsayer also inspired other composers like 12-year-old Mozart, who wrote a parody of the piece called Bastien und Bastienne (Zaslaw). However, the public was not as accepting of all of his musical creations; he then caused an outcry, initiated by the Academy of Sciences, when he attempted to establish a new system of musical notation that he had designed. Although the system has been widely criticized, it is still used in parts of Europe and South Asia due to its compatibility with typography (Simon). Another lesser known achievement of Rousseau is his development of the biographical novel. His work The Confessions, published during his exile in England, details a part of life that most writers have overlooked: childhood. A professor at the University of Sussex wrote that "no one before Rousseau had taken into account the intimate experiences of childhood and delineated... [their] consequences on the life of the suffering and dislocated adult... he anticipated Freud to more than a century” (Abbs). Rousseau himself boasted: “I have embarked on an unprecedented enterprise and I will not have,.