The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Volume III

The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau, Volume

This volume explores Rousseau's personal life and relationships, particularly his time with Madame de Warens, a wealthy patron who provided for him financially and emotionally. He describes their complex relationship, which was both platonic and romantic, and how it influenced his development as a person. Rousseau also discusses his experiences in Paris, where he became involved in the city's intellectual and artistic circles. He reflects on the social conventions and moral codes of the time, critiquing the hypocrisy and superficiality of high society. Throughout this volume, Rousseau grapples with themes of identity, morality, and the human condition. He examines his own flaws and weaknesses, as well as those of others, in an effort to understand himself and the world around him. The narrative is characterized by a mix of introspection, self-criticism, and philosophical musings. Rousseau's writing style is lyrical and expressive, making this volume a compelling read for anyone interested in 18th-century literature and philosophy.

By Jean Jacques Rousseau · First published 1782 · Genre: Autobiography, Philosophy, Literary Non-fiction · 19,005 words

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Leaving the service of Madam de Vercellis nearly as I had entered it, I returned to my former hostess, and remained there five or six weeks; during which time health, youth, and laziness, frequently rendered my temperament importunate. I was restless, absent, and thoughtful: I wept and sighed for a happiness I had no idea of, though at the same time highly sensible of some deficiency. This situation is indescribable, few men can even form any conception of it, because, in general, they have prevented that plenitude of life, at once tormenting and delicious. My thoughts were incessantly occupied with girls and women, but in a manner peculiar to myself: these ideas kept my senses in a perpetual and disagreeable activity, though, fortunately, they did not point out the means of deliverance. I would have given my life to have met with a Miss Goton, but the time was past in which the play of infancy predominated; increase of years had introduced shame, the inseparable companion of a conscious deviation from rectitude, which so confirmed my natural timidity as to render it invincible; and never, either at that time or since, could I prevail on myself to offer a proposition favorable to my wishes (unless in a manner constrained to it by previous advances) even with those whose scruples I had no cause to dread.

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Autobiography · Philosophy · Memoir · Self-Discovery · Personal Growth · French Literature · 18th Century · Classical Education · Rousseau's Life · Social Contract · General Will · Human Nature

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