When we are looking at the works of David and Rousseau an understanding of historical context in which the works were produced will assist us to appreciate why and how these works were created.

In order to understand the historical context we need to make a historical inquiry into the circumstances in which their work was produced and the time in history, it refers to.

A useful starting point would be to look at the subject’s own personal history, and psychology. What were their beliefs and moral values? What were the events and preoccupations, which shaped their career? We could consider any connections, which can be made to the historical circumstances in which their work was produced. Is there a connection to a particular social class or section of society?

We could take into account the presiding traditions in thought and art at the time. Who influenced David and Rousseau? What in particular were they trying to express or convey through their work, and if any specific significance can be attached to any particular political events?

‘The reigning monarch was Louis XVI and like his father and grandfather before him believed in the divine right of kings to rule and governed without parliament however the aristocracy ‘s lavish lifestyle in the subsequent years left France almost bankrupt, but this did not become apparent until 1788. There were many people living in 18th Century France who had little idea of exactly what ‘France’ was and who did not speak French. The society that Rousseau viewed, lived by rules made by the aristocracy and had little interest in the welfare of the common man’.

Rousseau described his civil society as united by a general will. The general will is supposed to represent the common good or public interest – and it is something that each individual has a hand in making. All citizens should participate and should be committed to the general good, even if it means acting against their private or personal interests. For example, we might support a political party that proposes to tax us heavily (as we have a large income) because we can see the benefit that this taxation can bring to all. To this extent, Rousseau believed that the good individual, or citizen, should not put their private ambitions first’.

This paragraph can be directly connected to Rousseau’s Social Contract and it could be said that it was this particular piece of work, which influenced the changes to French politics.

‘Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) became famous as a ‘French’ political philosopher and educationalist. Rousseau arrived in Paris in 1741; he was impressed by the idea that society was artificial and unfair in its organisation’.

Some topics in this essay:
David Rousseau, Social Contract, Huddled Brutus’s, Century France, Joseph Vien, French Encyclopaedia, Enlightenment’ Rousseau, Returning Brutus, Louis XVI, Constituent Assembly, social contract, david rousseau, own personal, historical context, french society, ‘the social contract’, political events, french revolution, personal history, fine arts, circumstances produced, 18th century france, understanding historical context, own personal history, restrained facial expression,