On the Social Contract (Paperback)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

ISBN 10: 0486426920 / ISBN 13: 9780486426921

Published by Dover Publications Inc., New York, 2007

About this Item

Paperback. A milestone of political science, Rousseau's 1762 work argues that all government is fundamentally flawed and that modern society is rife with inequality. He proposes an alternative system for the development of self-governing, self-disciplined citizens. "Man was born free, but everywhere he is in chains. This man believes that he is the master of others, and still he is more of a slave than they are. How did that transformation take place? I don't know. How may the restraints on man become legitimate? I do believe I can answer that question ." Thus begins Rousseau's influential 1762 work, Du Contract Social. Arguing that all government is fundamentally flawed, and that modern society is based on a system that fosters inequality and servitude, Rousseau demands nothing less than a complete revision of the social contract to ensure equality and freedom.Noting that government derives its authority by the people's willing consent (rather than the authorisation of God), Rousseau posits that a good government can justify its need for individual compromises, rewarding its citizens with "civil liberty and the proprietorship of all he possesses." The controversial philosopher further suggests that promoting social settings in which people transcend their immediate appetites and desires lead to the development of self-governing, self-disciplined beings.A milestone of political science, these essays introduced the inflammatory ideas that led to the chaos of the French Revolution, and are considered essential reading for students of history, philosophy, and other social sciences. A milestone of political science, Rousseau's 1762 work argues that all government is fundamentally flawed and that modern society is rife with inequality. He proposes an alternative system for the development of self-governing, self-disciplined citizens. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780486426921

Bibliographic Details

• Title: On the Social Contract (Paperback)
• Publisher: Dover Publications Inc., New York
• Publication Date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0486426920
• ISBN 13: 9780486426921
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

"Man was born free, but everywhere he is in chains. This man believes that he is the master of others, and still he is more of a slave than they are. How did that transformation take place? I don't know. How may the restraints on man become legitimate? I do believe I can answer that question …"
Thus begins Rousseau's influential 1762 work, Du Contract Social. Arguing that all government is fundamentally flawed, and that modern society is based on a system that fosters inequality and servitude, Rousseau demands nothing less than a complete revision of the social contract to ensure equality and freedom.
Noting that government derives its authority by the people's willing consent (rather than the authorization of God), Rousseau posits that a good government can justify its need for individual compromises, rewarding its citizens with "civil liberty and the proprietorship of all he possesses." The controversial philosopher further suggests that promoting social settings in which people transcend their immediate appetites and desires lead to the development of self-governing, self-disciplined beings.
A milestone of political science, these essays introduced the inflammatory ideas that led to the chaos of the French Revolution, and are considered essential reading for students of history, philosophy, and other social sciences.

About the Author

JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU (1712-1778) was one of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment in eighteenth-century Europe. His works were, and are, widely read, and he has been firmly established as a significant intellectual figure. His works and ideas influenced several noted philosophers and leaders of the French and American Revolutions.