Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Nationalism
The Enlightenment thinker whose ideas about popular sovereignty, the general will, and civic identity provided the intellectual foundations for modern democratic nationalism.
Real World
The French Revolution drew directly on Rousseau's idea of the general will — the Declaration of the Rights of Man (1789) declared that sovereignty rests with the nation as a whole, not the monarch, translating his philosophy into constitutional reality.
Exam Focus
When evaluating Rousseau, distinguish between his direct influence on nationalism versus later thinkers who adapted his ideas — examiners reward precision.
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