Rousseau’s critique of the Enlightenment emerges from his broader moral and political philosophy, which is centered on the concepts of freedom, virtue, and the natural goodness of human beings. While the Enlightenment celebrated the advancement of reason, science, arts, and civilization as forces of human progress, Rousseau challenged this optimism by arguing that these developments often corrupt rather than elevate the individual. His critique is not a rejection of reason altogether but rather a warning against its unchecked celebration without regard to the moral and social consequences. Through works such as the *Discourse on the Sciences and Arts* and the *Discourse on the Origin of Inequality*, Rousseau presented a fundamental challenge to the Enlightenment project, asserting that the progress of knowledge and civilization has led to decadence, inequality, and the erosion of authentic human freedom. Rousseau begins his critique by questioning the Enlightenment assumption that progress in sciences and arts leads to moral progress. In the *First Discourse*, he famously argues that the revival of arts and sciences has caused the decline of virtue. According to him, primitive societies, though lacking in refinement and scientific knowledge, maintained a moral strength and simplicity that fostered genuine human bonds. The rise of cultural sophistication, by contrast, nurtures vanity, superficiality, and competition. Instead of producing morally improved individuals, societies become governed by appearances and driven by a desire to impress others. This concern directly opposes the Enlightenment’s faith in rationality and intellectual advancement as inherently beneficent. Rousseau thus suggests that moral improvement and intellectual progress are not only distinct but potentially antagonistic. Another dimension of Rousseau’s critique lies in his conception of natural versus artificial inequalities. In the *Second Discourse*, he argues that the development of reason and the establishment of complex societies have generated forms of inequality that are neither natural nor necessary. Enlightenment thinkers often celebrated the role of reason in shaping civil society, but Rousseau observed that the growth of agriculture, metallurgy, private property, and political institutions created hierarchies and dependencies that undermine natural freedom. By tracing the origin of inequality to the emergence