Rousseau, Judge of Jean-Jacques: Dialogues

Rousseau, Judge of Jean-Jacques (better known as Dialogues) was one of Rousseau’s later and most puzzling works. Never before available in English, this neglected autobiographical piece was the product of the philosopher’s old age and sense of persecution. In it, Rousseau sought to justify his entire career and undertook his most comprehensive reflection on himself as an author, his books, and his audience.

Long viewed simply as evidence of his growing paranoia, Dialogues consists of three conversations between a character named “Rousseau” and one identified only as “Frenchman” who discuss the bad reputation and works of an author named “Jean-Jacques.” The work demonstrates that all Rousseau’s writings share in a coherent “system”–a statement made at the outset of his career.