---
title: "Rousseau: Enlightenment Philosopher | Model Diplomat"
description: "Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher whose social contract theory influenced the French Revolution and modern democracy. Discover his impact."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/rousseau"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) was a Genevan Enlightenment philosopher whose theory of the social contract and popular sovereignty inspired the French Revolution and modern democratic thought.
- What is Rousseau's concept of the General Will?
- How did Rousseau's ideas differ from Hobbes and Locke?
- How did Rousseau influence the French Revolution?
- Which of Rousseau's works are most important for exams?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In 1794 the French National Convention enshrined Rousseau by transferring his remains to the Panthéon in Paris, honouring the philosopher whose \*Social Contract\* (1762) Robespierre had cited to justify the Revolution.

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