The French Philosopher and political theorist Jean Jacques Rosseau has been remembered as one of the most eloquent writers of the Age of Enlightenment. His treatises inspired the leaders of the French Revolution and his exaltation of the natural world had a profound impact on the popular culture of the day, giving rise to the Romantic generation.Yet, there was a dark side to Rousseau's character, and in this intimate and absorbing account of his life, author Jaromir Janata sheds light on the psychological disorder that was a driving force behind his radical ideologies.Through the examination of Rousseau's life from a modern psychoanalytical perspective, it has been deemed that Rousseau was a sexual masochist.In this thorough biography of his life, Dr. Janata further reveals that Rosseau was also a moral masochist, thriving on the heated public furor caused by his revolutionary concepts of society.Masochism takes a two-prong approach to illuminating the life of this extraordinary man. First, we come to recognize Rousseau's contributions to the Humanities through a fascinating chronicle of his life and times. Then Dr. Janata draws an intricately detailed psychological portrait from a clinical viewpoint.By studying this colorful sensualist, we find a profound message in Rousseau's life. Through understanding the deepest meanings of his psychic disturbance, we gain important insights that can be applied to the psychological maladies of contemporary society.