Èmile

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778)
Translated by Barbara Foxley (1860 - 1958)

Emile, or On Education or Émile, or Treatise on Education (French: Émile, ou De l’éducation) was published in 1762 in French and German and in 1763 in English. The significance of Rousseau in education as well as in politics must be found in his revolutionary attitude toward established institutions. Some of his biographers relate the story that when the Academy of Dijon, in 1749, offered a prize for an essay on the question whether the progress of the arts and sciences has tended to the purification of morals and manners, he followed the suggestion of Diderot, who reminded him of the greater notoriety which he could gain by advocating the negative side. The Archbishop of Paris, Christophe de Beaumont (1703-1781), saw in it a dangerous, mischievous work, and gave himself the trouble of writing a long encyclical letter in order to point out the book to the reprobation of the faithful. This was due to the Fourth Book, Confessions of a Savoyard Priest.

Rousseau created an imaginary child named Emile and became his tutor. As tutor, he was careful to keep the passions in check while developing the mind. Then he created an imaginary mate for Emile named Sophy.

The book was reviewed in The Monthly Review 1763 printed by Ralph Griffiths. "Rousseau says man is born twice, first to exist, then to live; once to a species and again with regard to sex. At the age of puberty commences the second birth, when he is truly born to live, and enters into full possession of the powers of human nature. Tho' nature points out the time when youth emerges from infancy this period may be either accelerated or retarded by education." It was originally translated into English as early as 1768.

William H. Payne (1836–1907) translated Emile in 1895. This reading is from Barbara Foxley's 1912 translation from Gutenberg.org. (Summary by Soupy)

Genre(s): Culture & Heritage Fiction, Literary Fiction

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Author’s Preface Anne
00:08:15
Play 01 Book 1, Part 1 Gnomesb
00:38:23
Play 02 Book 1, Part 2 Craig Campbell
00:34:39
Play 03 Book 1, Part 3 Craig Campbell
00:41:02
Play 04 Book 1, Part 4 Craig Campbell
00:27:06
Play 05 Book 2, Part 1 Gnomesb
00:36:11
Play 06 Book 2, Part 2 Craig Campbell
00:38:56
Play 07 Book 2, Part 3 Craig Campbell
00:38:58
Play 08 Book 2, Part 4 Gnomesb
00:30:19
Play 09 Book 2, Part 5 Craig Campbell
00:46:57
Play 10 Book 2, Part 6 Craig Campbell
00:26:59
Play 11 Book 2, Part 7 Gnomesb
00:36:00
Play 12 Book 2, Part 8 Craig Campbell
00:30:47
Play 13 Book 2, Part 9 Craig Campbell
00:29:17
Play 14 Book 2, Part 10 Gnomesb
00:24:16
Play 15 Book 3, Part 1 Craig Campbell
00:28:30
Play 16 Book 3, Part 2 Craig Campbell
00:34:25
Play 17 Book 3, Part 3 Gnomesb
00:38:44
Play 18 Book 3, Part 4 Craig Campbell
00:36:25
Play 19 Book 3, Part 5 Craig Campbell
00:29:10
Play 20 Book 4, Part 1 Gnomesb
00:31:35
Play 21 Book 4, Part 2 Craig Campbell
00:31:21
Play 22 Book 4, Part 3 Craig Campbell
00:36:44
Play 23 Book 4, Part 4 Gnomesb
00:44:33
Play 24 Book 4, Part 5 Craig Campbell
00:41:56
Play 25 Book 4, Part 6 Craig Campbell
00:34:58
Play 26 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 1 Gnomesb
00:28:28
Play 27 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 2 Craig Campbell
00:51:20
Play 28 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 3 Craig Campbell
00:37:42
Play 29 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 4 Craig Campbell
00:48:59
Play 30 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 5 Gnomesb
00:33:57
Play 31 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 6 Craig Campbell
00:28:41
Play 32 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 7 Craig Campbell
00:31:47
Play 33 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 8 Gnomesb
00:43:44
Play 34 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 9 Craig Campbell
00:30:36
Play 35 The Creed of a Savoyard Priest Part 10 Craig Campbell
00:27:20
Play 36 Book 5, Part 1 Gnomesb
00:34:23
Play 37 Book 5, Part 2 Gnomesb
00:40:23
Play 38 Book 5, Part 3 Gnomesb
00:38:27
Play 39 Book 5, Part 4 Gnomesb
00:42:13
Play 40 Book 5, Part 5 Gnomesb
00:43:34
Play 41 Book 5, Part 6 Gnomesb
00:32:36
Play 42 Book 5, Part 7 Gnomesb
00:33:36
Play 43 Book 5, Part 8 Gnomesb
00:28:53
Play 44 Book 5, Part 9 Gnomesb
00:35:11
Play 45 Book 5, Part 10 Gnomesb
00:27:58
Play 46 Book 5, Part 11 Gnomesb
00:30:44
Play 47 Book 5, Part 12 Gnomesb
00:38:07
Play 48 Book 5, Part 13 Gnomesb
00:34:19
Play 49 Book 5, Part 14 End of Book Gnomesb
00:32:18