The Enlightenment researcher Andreas Heyer addresses the political anthropology of Rousseau in his study. Based on an interpretative reconstruction of the entire body of work, he develops the thesis that Rousseau not only stood on the ground of the Enlightenment but also significantly shaped the discourses of the era at central points. This applies to his novels as well as to his cultural-critical writings and late autobiographical essays. The author consolidates his arguments in an attempt to anchor Rousseau between the thematic fields of utopia, contractualism, and philosophy of history, while various perspectives on other authors of the 18th century and the French Revolution complete the picture.