Society Corrupts Humans Born Good

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (K. Lavan) My name is Jean-Jacques Rousseau and I was born in Geneva, a city-state of the Swiss Confederacy. I was born on June 28, 1712.  My father is Isaac Rousseau, a watchmaker, and Suzanne Bernard. Only nine days after my birth, my mother died and my father disowned my brother and me. At the age of thirteen, I began an apprenticeship as an engraver and three years later, I moved out of Geneva to Annecy. I loved to write and in 1742 I moved to Paris and met Denis Diderot and was a contributor to a radical magazine, the Encyclopedia. I created a system of number notation and although my idea was rejected, I still continued to write. For the next two years I worked at the French embassy in Venice where I wrote numerous operas and began to discover my love for philosophy. In 1750, I wrote my first major philosophical work and won a prize. Over the next ten years, I wrote many new philosophical works and defend religion in my work. I converted to a Roman Catholic and think that is necessary. One of my most famous is "The Social Contract." One of my most famous quotes from the work is "Man is born free; and everywhere he is in claims." In my book, I discuss how the government should have limited power and the good of the community is more important than individuals interests. I believe that all men are born with tabula rasa, or with a clean slate. I strongly believe that we are all born good but our society degrades us.