
The opening transports listeners to a sweltering summer day in 1749, when a young Jean‑Jacques Rousseau steps out of Paris and into the countryside, clutching a newspaper that poses a provocative question about the impact of scientific progress on morality. Struck by the query, he feels a sudden surge of emotion that ignites a lifelong struggle to reconcile nature’s simplicity with the complexities of Enlightenment thought. From that moment, the narrative follows his restless mind as he begins to draft the ideas that will later shape his famous confession.
Within the first act, Rousseau’s encounters with the salon of Madame de Worens and his uneasy friendship with Voltaire reveal the tension between his yearning for authentic feeling and the era’s call for reasoned discourse. He wrestles with questions of religion, politics, and education, drafting a tentative outline that hints at the revolutionary concepts he will eventually publish. Listeners will hear his internal debates voiced with vivid clarity, setting the stage for the profound philosophical journey that lies ahead.
Language
fi
Duration
~4 hours (251K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2016-09-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1843–1931
A major Danish philosopher and psychologist, he helped shape modern discussions of ethics, religion, and the mind. His writing connects careful analysis with a broad interest in science, history, and human experience.
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