Emile, or On Education (French: Émile, ou De l’éducation) is a treatise on the nature of education and on the nature of man written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who considered it to be the "best and most important" of all his writings. [1]
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While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Britannica Editors. "Émile". Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Emile-or-On-Education. Accessed 22 April 2026.
Dowling, Wyatt James. “Science, “Robinson Crusoe”, and Judgment: A Commentary on Book III of Rousseau’s “Emile”.” Order No. 3301787, Boston College, 2007. Goodman, Bridenthal, Renate, Susan Mosher Stuard, and Merry E. Wiesner. “Dena, “Women and the Enlightenment.”Chapter 9 Women and the Enlightenment.”
When once Emile has said, “It hurts me,” it will take a very sharp pain to make him cry. If the child is delicate and sensitive, if by nature he begins to cry for nothing, I let him cry in vain and soon check his tears at their source.
Pestalozzi of Zurich, one of the foremost educators of modern times, also found his whole life transformed by the reading of "Emile," which awoke in him the genius of a reformer.
Overview of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Emile, or On Education, its educational program, key themes of nature and freedom, and its historical impact.
The section of the book entitled "Profession of Faith of the Savoyard Vicar," caused Emile to be banned in Paris and Geneva and was publicly burned in 1762, the year of its first publication.
Emile, or On Education by Jean Jacques Rousseau. Search eText, Read ...
Originally published in 1762, Emile, or On Education, outlined a process of education that would prevent man from being corrupted by society and instead nurture his natural virtues and goodness.