The Social Contract, originally published as Du Contrat Social; ou, Principes du droit politique, is a 1762 treatise by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau theorized about the best way to establish a political community in the face of the problems of commercial society.
The Social Contract argues against the idea that monarchs were divinely empowered to legislate. Rousseau asserts that only the people, understood as a collective, have that all-powerful right. In the opening line of The Social Contract, Rousseau dramatically states that "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." He claims that legitimate political authority comes only from a social contract agreed upon by all citizens for their mutual preservation.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
