Why do you think that Rousseau’s thinking might have been influential during the French Revolution?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Switzerland but settled in Paris as a young adult. He became friends
with Denis Diderot and other philosophes and was soon a leader in intellectual circles. Rousseau wrote
many books, mostly on philosophy and culture. His best-known works include Discourse on Science and the
Arts (1750) and The Social Contract (1762). These works describe Rousseau’s core belief that the earthly
world is good and human civilization is the main cause of evil. In Rousseau’s view, people are born in a state
of goodness but are corrupted over time by society. This position led Rousseau to criticize the European
political and social order. Rousseau’s work helped spark the French Revolution, and his ideas on education,
liberty, and other issues remain influential today.