Rousseau’s Dialogues as Autoethnography

Rousseau left us three examples of life-writing: The Confessions, The Reveries of the Solitary Walker, and the Dialogues (also known as Rousseau: Juge de Jean-Jacques). It is here argued that The Confessions is an example of autobiography and The Reveries is an example of memoirs. In contrast to these two works, in form and style the Dialogues have hitherto been thought of as one of a kind, an unparalleled anomaly. In this essay, it will be argued that the Dialogues are an early example of autoethnography. It will be shown how the concept of autoethnography may help us to better appreciate and contextualize this neglected and original work. Furthermore, armed with this knowledge, we might avoid repeating some of Rousseau’s mistakes.