"The Social Contract" by Jean Jacques Rousseau

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in "The Social Contract", Jean Jacques Rousseau clarifies the idea of the social contract and the way the state should work together with its subjects to create a perfect and peaceful society. The author points out that Rousseau's opening statement that "Man is born free" is intriguing because, according to the rest of the section, this statement is not true; a child is obliged to be in bondage to its parents until it can leave the home on its own. The paper contends that, until lessons from the past can be recognized, books like "The Social Contract" will have academic value only; practical applicability is entirely dependent upon the human ability to recognize lessons, to adjust, and to evolve accordingly.

From the Paper:

"Rousseau makes a strong argument in his first book when he states, "One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they". (Book I; ch.i). This is applicable to current society, which is more often than not subject to some or other less than laudable human trait such as greed or addiction. People are slaves to money, drugs, success or any other of a maze of possible enslavements. This was also true in Rousseau's time, and he recognized that human beings are in bondage since birth."

More papers on "The Social Contract" by Jean Jacques Rousseau:

• Book Review # 16589 : "The Social Contract"
• Comparison Essay # 31931 : "Locke and Rousseau on the Social Contract"
• Analytical Essay # 120296 : "Rousseau's Beliefs in "The Social Contract"

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