Timothy O''Hagan investigates Jean-Jacques Rousseau''s writings concerning the formation of humanity, of the individual and of the citizen in his three master works: the Discourse on the Origin of Inequality among Men, Emile and the Social Contract. He explores Rousseau''s reflections on the sexes, language and religion.

O''Hagan gives Rousseau''s arguments a close and sympathetic reading. He writes as a philosopher, not a historian, yet he never loses sight of the cultural context of Rousseau''s work.