Rousseau as the vanguard of the contemporary intellectual figure

The aim of this study is to position philosopher Rousseau as a sort of intellectual vanguard who, through his unconventional ideas, illuminated certain traits that would later define the contemporary intellectual. In pursuit of this objective, a central question arises: Can Rousseau be identified as a precursor to the intellectual figure emerging from the socio-political tensions of late 19th-century France? Motivated by this inquiry, our investigation unfolds through theoretical-philosophical research employing a qualitative bibliographic approach. Our findings suggest that, through his critical insight and intellectual integrity, Rousseau foreshadowed and articulated characteristics integral to the emergence of the intellectual concept, which took root in France between 1894 and 1906 amidst the socio-political upheaval surrounding the Dreyfus case.