The Social Contract, originally published as On the Social Contract; or, Principles of Political Right (French: Du contrat social; ou, Principes du droit politique), is a 1762 French-language book by the …

And so it is against the nature of the body politic for the sovereign to impose on itself a law that it can’t infringe: there isn’t and can’t be any kind of basic law that is binding on the body of the people—even …

Just as theological writers on politics, from Hooker to Bossuet, make use of Biblical terminology and ideas; just as more modern writers, from Hegel to Herbert Spencer, make use of the concept of …

Dec 29, 2025 · But Rousseau also believed in the possibility of a genuine social contract, one in which people would receive in exchange for their independence a better kind of freedom, namely true …

Jan 27, 2025 · Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s social contract theory examines the connection between individuals and society. According to this theory, if people want freedom and equality, they must …

Sep 9, 2025 · Rousseau’s brilliant solution was the social contract—not an agreement between ruler and ruled, but an agreement among equals to form a political community. In this contract, each individual …

He asserts that there exists a ‘social contract’ between the individual and the state, and this cuts both ways: just as the state must respect the individual’s freedom (where possible), the individual must …