title: The Basic Political Writings (English and French Edition)
author:  Jean-Jacques Rousseau 
description: "The publication of these excellent translations is a happy occasion for teachers of courses in political philosophy and the history of political theory..." -- Raymon M. Lemos, Teaching Philosophy "The single most comprehensive, reliable and economical collection of Rousseau's explicitly political writings." --Michael Franz, Loyola College
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  # Emile
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  
  
  This page copyright © 2002 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  Author's Preface
  
  
  BOOK I
  
  
  BOOK II
  
  
  BOOK III
  
  
  BOOK IV
  
  
  BOOK V
  
  
  
  
  
  
      
  
  
  Steve Harris, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
  
  
  
  
  
  ##### Translated by Barbara Foxley
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Author's Preface
  
  
  
  
  
    
  This collection of scattered thoughts and observations has little
  
  
  order or continuity; it was begun to give pleasure to a good mother
  
  
  who thinks for herself. My first idea was to write a tract a few
  
  
  pages long, but I was carried away by my subject, and before I knew
  
  
  what I was doing my tract had become a kind of book, too large indeed
  
  
  for the matter contained in it, but too small for the subject of
  
  
  which it treats. For a long time I hesitated whether to publish it or
  
  
  not, and I have often felt, when at work upon it, that it is one thing
  
  
  to publish a few pamphlets and another to w