Reveries of a Solitary Walker
Encyclopedia
Reveries of a Solitary Walker (or Reveries of the Solitary Walker, French title: Les Rêveries du promeneur solitaire) is an unfinished book
by Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau
, written between 1776 and 1778. It was the last of a number of works composed toward the end of his life which were deeply autobiographical
in nature. Previous elements in this group included The Confessions
and Dialogues: Rousseau Judge of Jean-Jacques. The book is divided into ten chapters called Walks. The Eighth Walk and Ninth Walk were completed, but not revised by Rousseau, and the Tenth Walk was incomplete at Rousseau's death. The first publication was in 1782.
The content of the book is a mix of autobiographical anecdote
, descriptions of the sights, especially plants, that Rousseau saw in his walks around Paris
, and elaborations and extensions of arguments previously made by Rousseau in fields like education
and political philosophy
.
Unfinished work
An unfinished work is creative work that has not been finished. Its creator may have chosen never to finish it or may have been prevented from doing so by circumstances outside of their control such as death. Such pieces are often the subject of speculation as to what the finished piece would have...
by Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of 18th-century Romanticism. His political philosophy influenced the French Revolution as well as the overall development of modern political, sociological and educational thought.His novel Émile: or, On Education is a treatise...
, written between 1776 and 1778. It was the last of a number of works composed toward the end of his life which were deeply autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
in nature. Previous elements in this group included The Confessions
Confessions (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Confessions is an autobiographical book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In modern times, it is often published with the title The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau in order to distinguish it from St. Augustine of Hippo's Confessions...
and Dialogues: Rousseau Judge of Jean-Jacques. The book is divided into ten chapters called Walks. The Eighth Walk and Ninth Walk were completed, but not revised by Rousseau, and the Tenth Walk was incomplete at Rousseau's death. The first publication was in 1782.
The content of the book is a mix of autobiographical anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
, descriptions of the sights, especially plants, that Rousseau saw in his walks around Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and elaborations and extensions of arguments previously made by Rousseau in fields like education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and political philosophy
Political philosophy
Political philosophy is the study of such topics as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it...
.