Title: Emile or On Education Author: Jean-Jacques Rousseau Introduction, Translation, and Notes: Allan Bloom Published: New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1979 (Originally published in 1762) About the Author[1] Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a Genevan philosopher and music theorist, was born June 28, 1712 and died July 2, 1778.  His father was a watchmaker and his mother was the niece of a Calvinist minister who died a few days after giving birth.  In 1728 he converted to Catholicism and the next year joined a seminary.  He dropped out of the seminary and taught music to girls of wealthy families.  In 1745 he commenced a relationship with Thérèse Levasseur who was the chambermaid of the hotel where he was staying.  They had five children together and all of them were sent immediately to the local foundling home.  He married Thérèse in a civil ceremony in 1768.  He worked with the Encyclopedists, Diderot and d’Alembert, writing all the articles pertaining to music for the Encyclopédie.  In 1754 he reverted to Calvinism and again became a citizen of Geneva.  His more famous literary works are Julie, or the New Heloise (1761), Emile, or On Education (1762), The Social Contract (1762), and The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau…