Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Power

During the French Revolution, Jean-Jacques Rousseau had inspired many revolutionists on either side, including one Robespierre, though he may not have entirely agreed with them. Rousseau’s idea of a perfect government centered around the idea that it acted as an intermediary between the people and the sovereign. This paper will discuss what Rousseau may have thought about what Robespierre did with his power as well as the French Revolution. Robespierre is known to have taken inspiration from Rousseau’s views, however he acted as a tyrant and critical role in the Committee for Public Safety that had killed and arrested thousands of French men. The Revolutionary Tribunals of Paris executed almost 50,000 people during the reign of terror,