'Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains' - these are the famous opening words of a treatise that has not ceased to stir vigorous debate since its first publication in 1762. Rejecting the view that anyone has a natural right to wield authority over others, Rousseau argues instead for a pact, or 'social contract', that should exist between all the citizens of a state and that should be the source of sovereign power. From this fundamental premise, he goes on to consider issues of liberty and law, freedom and justice, arriving at a view of society that has seemed to some a blueprint for totalitarianism, to others a declaration of democratic principles.
The Social Contract
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Inspired by the unfair treatment of France by their king, J.J. Rousseau wrote this book and ideology based on the equality of men. In this book, Rousseau gives the reader detailed information on his view of the model society. The reader is consumed by the principle stating that no man has any authority over the other, and the balance of man's losses and gains gives the reader a sense of hope in this form of community. This is a must-read for any lover of deep thought and classic literature.
56 of 64 people found the following review helpful
By JR Pinto
Format:Paperback
This is a valuable historical document, because it shows us the thinking that led up to the French Revolution. Rousseau wrote: "Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains." What Rousseau means by this is that Man is born free in the State of Nature - it is society, government, and urban life that are the corruptive forces. Without those things, Rousseau argues, man would exist in peaceful co-habitation. What is striking to the modern reader about this claim is how blatantly wrong it is. Rousseau was trying to refute Thomas Hobbes who wrote that the State of Nature is the same as the State of War. Apparently Hobbes got the better of the argument because, as soon as the French Revolution took effect, peaceful liberty went out the window in favor of the Reign of Terror.
But, back to Rousseau. He claims that, even though men in nature peacefully co-exist, it is more beneficial for them to come together to form a society. Thus they SHOULD come together and form a Social Contract. The ideal contract for Rousseau would entail the individual GIVING UP ALL HIS RIGHTS on entering the contract with the understanding that he will get them all back from the Sovereign. Who is the Sovereign? Well, for Rousseau, the Sovereign is the People. If Rousseau's Ideal State were an organism, it would be a large one-celled organism with no differentiation. This is very much unlike Hobbes' Leviathan, with the Sovereign at the head and each part assigned its individual task. For Rousseau, only the SOCIETY AS A WHOLE has the right to govern.
Of course, this system is incredibly unwieldy, that is why - in Rousseau's world - there are a whole bunch of little city-states, like ancient Athens. HERE COMES THE SCARY PART. Once the whole population gets together and makes a decision, that decision is infallible. "THE GENERAL WILL CANNOT BE WRONG." Those minorities who are disaffected by this general rule shall be "FORCED TO BE FREE." In the case of the French Revolution, that was the freedom of one's head from one's shoulders.
According to Simon Schama in his wonderful book, Citizens, the importance of the Social Contract has been overestimated. Rousseau's love of the State of Nature (which was the spirit of the French Revolution) had more of an effect on the public through his novels Emile and La Nouvelle Heloise.
The Social Contract must be viewed in its historical context as a piece of history in itself. If one reads it for philosophic reasons only, it will come of sounding either frightening or painfully naďve. One sentence caught my imagination however - Rousseau saw the island of Corsica as the perfect candidate for his ideal state. "I have a presentiment that this little island will one day astonish Europe." It did. It produced the greatest warlord the world had ever seen - Napoleon.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By K. Burns
Format:Kindle Edition
"The Social Contract" is an important read that marks a crossroads in Enlightenment thought. This crossroads has made significant differences in the past 300 years in political history.
The crossroads specifically begins, to me, with philosophers John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I, for one, am a Lockean. The influence of Locke is best observed in the USA's Constitution and emphasis on the "Rule of Law" (though this has waned over time due to the popularity of Rousseau-like ideologies). Locke, considering his reasoning was perhaps not sexy or exciting enough, was the philosophy road less traveled. His view was summarily that man was an individual who had rights to liberty and property. Governments were formed among men to protect individual liberty and property through means of negative rights.
Rousseau, to me, is Locke's polar opposite. His view is "Rule of the People." The descendants of his philosophy can be seen as early as the French Revolution that led to the Reign of Terror. Robespierre was an avid follower of Rousseau. Rousseau's ideas can be greatly seen in Socialist and Communist philosophy as well.
One should definitely find the time to read Locke. In regards to "The Social Contract", Rousseau has moments of contradiction and obscurity. He writes that "man must be forced to be free." A paradox that sums up Rousseau.
Rousseau believed that man is selfish without the State. With the State, man goes from being an animal to truly being a man. Through the State, man acquires moral liberty. The State is master of all goods. Every man has a right to everything he needs. A man must occupy only the amount he needs for subsistence. A man's estate is always subordinate to the community. These are the only ways to make man equal.
The State is progressed by the General Will. The General Will tends to equality and public advantage. The General Will is always right. The People can never be corrupted. The State must have a Universal and Compelling force. The Social Compact gives absolute power over all of its members. Every citizen should render his services to the State when those services are demanded. Life is to be devoted to the State.
If a Prince of the State says, "It is expedient for the State that you should die", he ought to die, since the State has provided security up to this point. The people will always do good, but at times should be enlightened. Each citizen should resort to nothingness so that he cannot do without the rest. There will be equality in morals and talents. In times of attack upon the State, a dictatorship will be instituted silencing all laws for a moment.
There are brief moments of Lockean ideas in "The Social Contract", but are so flittering that there is no point in elaborating upon them. Rousseau contradicts himself within the next paragraph which renders those Lockean ideas moot.
The most dangerous and most significant of Rousseau's ideas is found in the last chapter, "Civil Religion." It is here that one can trace the Salvation of Mankind theories seen in Communism, Socialism, Black Liberation Theology, etc. There is to be a civil profession of faith established. Man can be banished from society as an anti-social being, through death if needed, if he behaves as if he does not believe the profession of faith. It is impossible to live at peace with these who are regarded as damned and they must be reclaimed or tormented. The Church can only offer Salvation if the Church is the State.
We can see where Civil Religion has led to the massacres of millions in the 20th Century. I won't lay blame completely upon Rousseau for these tragedies, but for one to speak of murder and torment of his fellow man so easily, he indeed has blood on his hands.
The crossroads specifically begins, to me, with philosophers John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. I, for one, am a Lockean. The influence of Locke is best observed in the USA's Constitution and emphasis on the "Rule of Law" (though this has waned over time due to the popularity of Rousseau-like ideologies). Locke, considering his reasoning was perhaps not sexy or exciting enough, was the philosophy road less traveled. His view was summarily that man was an individual who had rights to liberty and property. Governments were formed among men to protect individual liberty and property through means of negative rights.
Rousseau, to me, is Locke's polar opposite. His view is "Rule of the People." The descendants of his philosophy can be seen as early as the French Revolution that led to the Reign of Terror. Robespierre was an avid follower of Rousseau. Rousseau's ideas can be greatly seen in Socialist and Communist philosophy as well.
One should definitely find the time to read Locke. In regards to "The Social Contract", Rousseau has moments of contradiction and obscurity. He writes that "man must be forced to be free." A paradox that sums up Rousseau.
Rousseau believed that man is selfish without the State. With the State, man goes from being an animal to truly being a man. Through the State, man acquires moral liberty. The State is master of all goods. Every man has a right to everything he needs. A man must occupy only the amount he needs for subsistence. A man's estate is always subordinate to the community. These are the only ways to make man equal.
The State is progressed by the General Will. The General Will tends to equality and public advantage. The General Will is always right. The People can never be corrupted. The State must have a Universal and Compelling force. The Social Compact gives absolute power over all of its members. Every citizen should render his services to the State when those services are demanded. Life is to be devoted to the State.
If a Prince of the State says, "It is expedient for the State that you should die", he ought to die, since the State has provided security up to this point. The people will always do good, but at times should be enlightened. Each citizen should resort to nothingness so that he cannot do without the rest. There will be equality in morals and talents. In times of attack upon the State, a dictatorship will be instituted silencing all laws for a moment.
There are brief moments of Lockean ideas in "The Social Contract", but are so flittering that there is no point in elaborating upon them. Rousseau contradicts himself within the next paragraph which renders those Lockean ideas moot.
The most dangerous and most significant of Rousseau's ideas is found in the last chapter, "Civil Religion." It is here that one can trace the Salvation of Mankind theories seen in Communism, Socialism, Black Liberation Theology, etc. There is to be a civil profession of faith established. Man can be banished from society as an anti-social being, through death if needed, if he behaves as if he does not believe the profession of faith. It is impossible to live at peace with these who are regarded as damned and they must be reclaimed or tormented. The Church can only offer Salvation if the Church is the State.
We can see where Civil Religion has led to the massacres of millions in the 20th Century. I won't lay blame completely upon Rousseau for these tragedies, but for one to speak of murder and torment of his fellow man so easily, he indeed has blood on his hands.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic!
A must read if you're interested in politics!! It helps you understand the underlying reasoning of democracy. Worth every penny in it.
Published 29 days ago by Arami
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Classic
An amazing collectors edition of one of the most essential philosophical classics of all time. A must read and a must have.
Published 1 month ago by Vivienne Moxham-Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars
GREAT
GREAT , JUST THE WAY IT WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN ON THE PAGE. SURELY GLAD I BROUGHT IT !
Published 1 month ago by Ramon Ortiz
4.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring and Timely
Rousseau's Social Contract is a timeless piece of material, with so many modern day solutions one would easily led to believe it to be written a few short months ago. Read more
Published 2 months ago by William R. Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great read
Great Book, if you would like to understand the fundamental concepts that were created to govern the world we live in today.
Published 3 months ago by Jeremiah Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Reading!
I found Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “The Social Contract” to be amazing! It is a 250 year old document that explains political systems and branches of government that are completely... Read more
Published 3 months ago by William S Hart
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should be mandatory reading
Compared to today's skin deep civics knowledge, this is the classic motif of historical social philosophy. Read more
Published 6 months ago by C. Kay
3.0 out of 5 stars
Review
I am a huge fan of Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality, and was hoping to appreciate this book just as much. Read more
Published 9 months ago by CB
5.0 out of 5 stars
You might not agree with everything in the book, but it's a deep well...
This is such an interesting read and the relevance and deep wisdom is evident on every page. Although it was written hundreds of years ago, there is so much to learn about human... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Robert Kirk
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic
This goes a long way to helping us understand how to fit into a society while also seeking own individual will. Read more
Published 23 months ago by J. Smallridge
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 46
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100
books
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- Social Contract: Essays by Locke, Hume, and Rousseau by John Locke on 22 pages
- History of Florence by MacHiavelli on page 72, and page 117
- Descartes: Discourse On Method by Laurence J. Lafleur in Back Matter
- Paul and Virginia by Bernardin de Saint Pierre in Back Matter
- Paul and Virginia (Dodo Press) by Bernadin de Saint-Pierre in Back Matter
See all 46 books this book cites
- Political Philosophy 3: From the Rights of Man to the Republican Idea (v. 3) by Luc Ferry on 10 pages
- Deconstruction and the Possibility of Justice by Drucilla Cornell on 9 pages
- Wordsworth's Second Nature: A Study of the Poetry and Politics by James Chandler on 7 pages
- Public Rape: Representing Violation in Fiction and Film (Studies in Culture and Communication) by Tanya Horeck on 6 pages
- King of the Celts: Arthurian Legends and Celtic Tradition by Jean Markale on 6 pages
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