The political philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The impossibility of reason)

Far from being confined to the 18th century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s thought speaks powerfully to contemporary debates about identity, belonging and the pace of social change. In this classic study, Professor Qvortrup suggests that the Genevan writer’s critique of moral decline and social fragmentation resonates with those who question, and sometimes seek to slow, the advance towards an increasingly secular society. In addition to a thorough analysis of his political and philosophical writings, the book also covers Rousseau’s often overlooked contributions as a composer who inspired Mozart and a writer of fiction who inspired Goethe and Byron.

With a new preface and postscript The Political Philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau provides the intellectual underpinnings for those who feel themselves to be strangers in their own land.