Okay, I think a lot of intelligent people are posting here...

But I'm not sure they know what they're talking about: Rousseau. Most of the posts here have nothing to do with R.'s Discourses, although many are vaguely linked. In the interest of sound, Socratic, discourse please refrain from speculating or commenting beyond the question...

exempli grata: Rousseau has nothing to say about religion. Being used to the modern political idea that religion and science are somehow antonymous, many have made the argument "Is religion the cause of the fall of empires". This is not Rousseau's point. He believes that an increase in learning leads to people living luxuriously rather than intelligently, and therefore nations fall. I.E. Rome grew large and rich, and the ruling class used science and technology to improve their quality of life. They stopped being diligent (In many ways Roman) and therefore the nation fell.

Again, I don't question the intellect of anyone involvd here, I just see what seems to be a chronic unfamiliarity with the subject.