Voltaire and Rousseau are contemporaries, and both have the most distinctive characteristics of thinkers of that era. For example, they all hate corruption and superstition and oppose tyranny and oppression.
But in contrast, Voltaire is more moderate and Rousseau is more radical. Voltaire advocates freedom, advocates rational improvement of society and realizes everyone's freedom rights.
Rousseau advocated equality. He believes that all people are born equal, but society is divided into people, so equality in the natural state is the most beautiful state of mankind, and he even opposes civilization itself.
This opposition between the pursuit of freedom and equality can be regarded as the embryonic form of the left and the right under the modern democratic system.
In addition, from the perspective of political inclination, Voltaire can better represent the interests of the small and medium-sized aristocrats and the big bourgeoisie, while Rousseau is closer to the position of the petty bourgeoisie and the common class.
Voltaire was a pacifist, and he did not advocate violent revolution to solve problems. He opposes absolute monarchy, but he also has doubts about * * *, preferring British constitutional monarchy.
Rousseau was an agitator of the revolution, and he resolutely opposed the monarchy. Robespierre, Mara and others during the Great Revolution can be regarded as Rousseau's spiritual disciples.
At first, the two men were just a purely academic debate and political debate, but like most heated debates, they gradually evolved into personal attacks.
There are two more important events. One is that Rousseau sent his paper "On the Origin of Human Inequality" to Voltaire, but Voltaire criticized rudely: No one has ever turned us into beasts with so much intelligence.
The second thing is that Rousseau lived with his maid for a long time and gave birth to five children, all of whom were sent to an orphanage in Paris by Rousseau.
Voltaire wrote "A Citizen's Emotion" anonymously, accusing Rousseau, and Rousseau responded with his masterpiece Confessions. From then on, the two fell out completely, never met again, and there was no communication.
Extended data:
Rousseau and Voltaire are both great French enlightenment thinkers who have made outstanding contributions to social progress.
Among the encyclopedia schools in France, Voltaire was older than Rousseau, with the earliest stage time, the longest activity time and the most works, so he had the greatest influence in Europe at that time and was regarded as the master of the Enlightenment.
Because of this, Voltaire is regarded as the leader and mentor of the Enlightenment in almost all the history of French literature.
Rousseau, on the other hand, experienced ups and downs and hardships, and was finally regarded as an eccentric loner. He was always the object of criticism from19th century to the beginning of 20th century.
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