Jean Jacques Rousseau's writings inspired Robespierre, Marx, Lenin, Hitler, Mao, and Pol Pot.

Sure, he was one of the great philosophers of the era and inspired a lot of people. Listing just the bad guys is disingenuous, though

I wish I had used a more appropriate word than "inspired".

According to Nancy R. Pearcey, Rousseau proclaimed society was artificial and confining. The state would be the agent of liberation. The state would destroy all social ties, releasing the individual from loyalty to anything except itself. "Each citizen would then be completely independent of all his fellow men, ...and absolutely dependent on the state."

His philosophy also inspired the creation of the American republic. He was a believer in the sovereignty of the people (not the state), but also that they must be obliged to conform to the General Will. He was one of the first to clearly describe some of the contradictions between society and freedom, and within democracy.

If you read the "Social Contract", it becomes obvious that he did indeed believe that society was artifical and confining, but that he didn't see this as an argument against society. He believed that you became free by obeying the general will - following the good, not of the government, but of the people.

I'm just pointing out some of the stuff I think about Rousseau because it seems like this claim casts him in an unfairly bad light, and probably misrepresents his views.

And according to the link I found for the thread on the rights of the unborn before and after Roe v. Wade, Rousseau was one of the people who helped encourage society to not view children as evil, and to encourage teaching, giving time to play, etc. The hallmarks of what we feel is required to treat children decently these days.

Although I do wish more parents could find a good balance between discipline and nurturing. You need both. Without the right level of each, you get annoying kids and generally kids I feel sorry for.

Still, better than packing them up at 6 to start working and beating them regularly.

Rachel: Some Christians look to Jesus as a model for loving children:

Jesus and the Children.

And Paul gave these instructions:

Fathers do not exasperate your children.

Another minister,

Charles Loring Brace

was aware of impoverished children and therefore acted to improve some children's prospects.

Deuteronomy 6:6

Few Jewish children are malnourished because their culture spends so much family time together around the table.

Yes, some Christians do. But despite a largely Christian culture children were treated horribly (by modern standards) during the time of Rousseau. And he helped to change that.

So, some of his effects were positive.

It was people who called themselves Christians who sent their six year olds to work and said "Spare the rod and spoil the child".