J.j. Rousseau's criticisms of enlightenment philosophy

Jean Jacques Rousseau, one of the philosophers of Enlightenment philosophy, did not welcome the developments brought by this movement and its era with unquestionable enthusiasm, and put forward a critical point of view, considering these developments as objectionable and dangerous. Rousseau can be considered as both the Enlightenment philosopher and a person who criticizes the Enlightenment. For this reason, the Enlightenment movement should be studied before handling Rousseau's criticisms. In this study, Enlightenment is firstly utilized as a process. Following this, the concept of Enlightenment and its characteristics were discussed. The French Enlightenment and Rousseau's life are explored in order to see how Rousseau's life and thoughts influenced him. The main focus of this thesis is Rousseau's critique of the Enlightenment. His criticisms are discussed in the second part. Although this research classifies Rousseau's critiques under the headings of civilization, progressivism, rationality, and belief, the aim is to express the negative aspects of the Enlightenment through his eyes. Key Words: Rousseau, Enlightenment, Civilisation, Progressivism, Wisdom, Nature.