A Study On The Modernity Of Self-writing In Rousseau’s Confessions

France was in the throes of social transformation,which inevitably brought about ideological shocks in the 18th century.With the slogan of "Enlightenment",the enlightenment campaigners held the banner of reason and began a vigorous ideological liberation movement.When the autobiographical writing goes deep into the spirit of the age,the dignity and value of the individual has been declared.Jean-Jacques Rousseau,as an enlightened thinker,philosopher,educator,litterateur,democratic political theorist and the pioneer of romantic literature in the 18th century,is undoubtedly the representative of the spirit of the Times.From the Geneva watchmaker’s apprentice to the famous political commentator in Europe,from a wandering youth who made a living copying music to the defender of the republic,his life is legendary.Confessions,considered the first modern autobiography in the West,was written during his exile.In this work,he boldly publicized his life experience to the world,in which the persistence of self-seeking,the publicity of the value of individual life,and the shocking exposure of the self have had a profound impact on later autobiographical writing.At the same time,Because the autobiography was made by Jean-Jacques Rousseau through recollection in his later years,most researchers think it is a controversial autobiography in authenticity.Although its authenticity is disputed,readers can also get a glimpse of his reflections on the question of self from his motivations in his later years in autobiographical writing.Especially as a modern intellectual,he realized the value of the individual in the process of self-writing and the turn to self-thinking brought about by autobiography writing.This article takes Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions as the research object,and combines other autobiographical works to explore his modern self in his autobiographies.And then it will discuss the classic mode of autobiographical writing as the first western modern autobiography.This thesis is mainly developed from the following five aspects.In the introduction part,the author first expounds the reasons and significance of continuing to study Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s autobiography under the background that the study of his autobiography has matured.At the same time,the concept of modernity in this paper is briefly explained.In addition,on the basis of summarizing the domestic and foreign research on Rousseau’s Confessions,the author put forward the main ways of thinking in this thesis.The first chapter discusses the awakening of modern individual consciousness in Rousseau’s autobiography.Combined with the details of life described in Rousseau’s autobiography,Confessions shows the powerful power of individuals to break through the shackles and strongly demand to express self beyond the age.Rousseau’s whole life was in unstable from his youth to his old age of exile.The lingering shadow of his childhood had a great influence on his whole life,which made him realize the split between individual and collective at an early age.Especially in after the publication of "Emile,or Education",He was isolated and exiled by the government and the church.Besides,the collapse of the political ideal and his best friend’s betrayal put Rousseau in an ego anxiety.For Jean-Jacques Rousseau,autobiographical writing become an important means for him to recognize and present himself.At the same time,using autobiography as a medium to convey the self-clarity to the outside world became a great driving force for his self-writing.The second chapter mainly discusses Rousseau’s advocacy of the value and dignity of individual life as a modern citizen.On the one hand,from Rousseau’s autobiography has always emphasized his Geneva citizenship,fully understand the concept of citizenship at that time after the social meaning,and so that we can understand Rousseau’s citizenship expressed a strong subjective consciousness.On the other hand,in combination with the autobiographical works of his later years,Jean-Jacques and Rousseau:Rousseau,Judge of Jean-Jacques,Dialogues and The Reveries of the Solitary Walker,deeply understands the self-empowerment in autobiographical writing.In addition,it shows that a modern citizen should have the free and equal right of self-expression through Rousseau’s struggle for his own right of discourse in his Confessions.The third chapter explains Rousseau’s self-explanation in the process of confession from the pioneering significance of Rousseau’s secular confession in Confession.In the confession,Rousseau,as an autobiographer,engages in a sincere and bold self-writing.At the same time,in order to express himself completely and describe himself truthfully,he has to dissociate from himself and return to himself repeatedly,so it is dangerous to re-understand himself through autobiographical writing.This inevitably leaves room for self-explanation for both the master and the author’s dual identity,and Rousseau has felt the dangerous contract between himself and language,thus turning to the posture of modern literature:to show himself with works.And induce readers to identify with the truth of the writer’s personal experience rather than trying to arouse readers’ recognition of some truth between the writer and his readers.This shows the strong independence of modern individual subjects in the space of self-interpretation of autobiography.The conclusion is a summary of the whole paper,which discusses the significance and influence of Rousseau’s autobiography and the important enlightening effect of modern self on the deep exploration of individual life value by later generations.That is to say,through the awakening of individual consciousness in autobiography,the bold statement of citizenship and the self-explanation in confession,Rousseau’s self-writing in Confessions presents a modern self,and sets up the classical connotation and paradigm for autobiography writing.