Vyznání – Rousseau Jean-Jacques (2017)

I approach a work that has never had a precedent and will not find imitators at all. I want to show people like me one person in his true nature; and that person will be me. Only me." With these words, the French philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 to 1778) introduces his famous Confessions, which represent a milestone in the history of literature, and although they were created more than two hundred and fifty years ago, they continue to fascinate readers around the world today. In this book, considered the beginning of the autobiographical genre in its own right, the author narrates the novel of his life. He evokes memories of childhood and youth, describes life struggles, controversies, and reflects on his emotional life, not shying away from intimate, even delicate topics and unflattering circumstances of his life. His intention was not to describe external events, but to write "the history of my soul" – the author set out to "accurately acquaint the reader with what my inner self looked like in all situations of my life." Rousseau was the first modern European author of the new age to break the boundary between literature and personal life and made himself the subject of a book. In his autobiography, he expresses a belief in the significance of individual existence, which is so...