Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) is widely acknowledged as on of the most important thinkers of the eighteenth-century European Enlightenment. The areas he most influenced were Romanticism, education, and political philosophy. His most important works were:

•  A Discourse on the Arts and Sciences (nonfiction, 1750/1): argues that modern developments in arts and science did not improve moral character; developed the concept of the "Noble Savage". 
• Of the Social Contract, Principles of Political Right (nonfiction, 1755/61): a treatise which argued that legitimate sovereignty was always with the people and that governments were only legitimatized by the people they ruled.
• Julie, or The New Héloïse (novel, 1761): a romantic novel emphasizing the virtues of nature and the simple rural life. 
• Emilius and Sophia: Or, a New System of Education (nonfiction, 1762-1763): argues for individualized instruction based on children's innate abilities and interests and balancing study with physical activity and exploration of nature,
• The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau (autobiography, 1783-1790): posthumously published, and unusually frank for the period.