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Jean-Jacques Rousseau, sometimes referred to as the “pioneer of modern Democracy”, was a man from Geneva, Switzerland who’s literary works had effects that can be seen in many societies around the world today (Havelock 2). The thoughts and concerns he expressed in his writings had such a great impact that they became fuel for revolutions, reforms, and helped begin other literary and social movements in the 19th century. On a list created by A&E titled “Biography of the Millennium: 100 People, 1000 Years”, Rousseau ranked as the 34th most influential person of the millennium. This list should not be seen as accurate or definitive, but instead viewed as a list of some influential people in a biased order, and this will be proven using Jean-Jacques Rousseau as merely an example.
Rousseau’s life experiences, mainly the ones he wished to avoid or forget, caused him to turn to literature as a means of escape. Because of this he later went on to write numerous essays and books which would make him a highly regarded influential figure in history. As a child, he had a generally good life, surrounded by relatives, and under the care of his father, with whom he was very close. At age 10, Rousseau’s father left Geneva due to a legal dispute with a land owner, so Jean-Jacques' aunt and uncle took over caring for him. He felt abandoned, so he turned to literature in an attempt to “escape the reality of his life” (UXL Biographies 2).
The later years of Rousseau’s life were filled with success, drama, and controversy. He left the city of Geneva in 1741 and soon returned to Paris, where he met French writer and philosopher Denis Diderot. Thanks to Diderot, Rousseau gained an interest in philosophy and government, and in 1749 he came across an essay contest which he won with his essay “Discourse on the Sciences and the Arts.” This was the start of his fame and also the start of the controversy surrounding his works. Rousseau continued to produce many essays and books ranging in subjects from his view on education to how humans have corrupted their lives by obsessing over material possessions. Many of his works were subject to extreme controversy and critique when they were published, while others, like "Emile", had a major impact after his death. "Emile", specifically, was used by French revolutionaries to help find ways to reform education and "achieve a balance between religious tradition and the advancement of the arts and sciences", and because of this liberty and equality became major goals for the French revolution (Cranston 3).

Now that you know some background information on Jean-Jacques Rousseau you can begin to understand the next portion of this paper.

Originally I stated that the list created by A&E Titled "Biography of the Millennium: 100 People, 1000 Years" should not be seen as accurate. This is because you simply cannot associate a numerical value with influence, unless of course you're counting the number of people influenced by something. Influence is speculative and subjective, and there really is no way to come up with a number for it, so how could you put influential people in a list ranked by number, by influence? You can't, it’s as simple as that.
All the information I have found pertaining to how this list was produced has lead me to believe that it is culturally biased. According to my sources (IE: Amazon.com, AEtv.com) A&E conducted a survey of numerous scholars, scientists, artists and politicians, to help order the list. This takes care of the American viewpoint, but nothing I could find would tell me that the list also takes into account the views and opinions of other countries / cultures. Different cultures may view the influence of one person very differently as opposed to how we, as Americans, view it. There is no way this list of ‘the most influential people of the millennium' can even be considered slightly accurate unless it takes into account the rest of the world.
Aside from being potentially biased and attempting to measure something immeasurable, religious figures were also absent from this list. Though there is controversy about whether or not some of them even existed, the religious following built around them has substantially influenced many events and people throughout history. Do not assume, however, that if this list would have included religious figures, the #1 rank would belong to someone like Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus’ influence has been a major part of how some people obtain their moral values, but there are other people who we know existed, who’s influence is/was more prevalent. One could argue that religious figures cannot be included in the list due to the fact that it has not been proven that they existed; or if their existence has been proven, there is no evidence that what they claim to have done is truth. It should not matter if they existed or not, or even if their “miracles” are truthful. The list should include them solely for their influential qualities.
At first glance, one might not be aware that the list itself is in biased order. After a closer examination of the list, the bias becomes apparent. Take for example, Rousseau, whose accomplishments were briefly discussed earlier in this paper. Rousseau was ranked #34 on the list, immediately preceeded by Martin Luther King, Jr., and later Ludwig von Beethoven. If Beethoven, a musician, was listed to have had a greater influence than a person whose writings sparked revolutions’ or another who helped greatly defeat racial segregation, then it should be apparent that this list is incorrect. It appears obvious to me that the list itself was made in a subjective nature, and was based merely on the collective opinions of a handful of people. A list of people ranked by influence should not, in my opinion, ever exist.