As a giant of the Age of Enlightenment, Rousseau exerted a powerful influence on the culture. His thoughts and writings influenced government and human liberties, changing the dominant thought of the times. This is the absorbing story of Rousseau’s rise in French intellectual circles, outlining the major influences on his philosophy as it analyzes the meaning of Rousseau’s other major works. The book also shows how his works influenced later philosophers, and impacted the American and French Revolutions that were to come.