The philosopher of individual self-expression, Rousseau was a leading precursor of the Romantic movement. He famously declared: 'Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains.' Rousseau himself spent several years as a fugitive, and was finally acclaimed by the French Revolution eleven years after his death.
These witty and informative guides cover the lives and ideas of the major philosophers. Award-winning author Paul Strathern's concise and easily comprehensible style highlights the major advances in philosophy, as well as the men who conceived them and the times in which they lived.
Packed with striking quotes, insights and anecdotes, the aim of the 'Virgin Philosophers' series is to clarify the mysteries of philosophy for the general reader.