Who is Jean Jacques Rousseau from Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education: A Biographical Introduction and what is their importance?

Jean Jacques Rousseau is called the prophet of naturalism. He lived from 1712-1778 during the Age of Reason or Enlightenment. Rousseau's educational ideas foreshadowed the subsequent romanticism of later centuries. His novel Emile promoted educational ideas and methods to influence child-centered educational practice in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland, the son of a watchmaker who raised him with an aunt since his mother died 9 days after his birth. His father Isaac read to him late into the night from a wide variety of books beyond a ten-year old's understanding.