Of The Social Contract and Other Political Writings

byJean-Jacques Rousseau, Quintin Hoare (Translator), Christopher Bertram (Edited by)
'Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains.'
These are the famous opening words of a treatise that has stirred vigorous debate ever 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.

About Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Details
  • Imprint: Penguin Classics
  • ISBN: 9780141191751
  • Length: 400 pages
  • Dimensions: 198mm x 22mm x 130mm
  • Weight: 294g
  • Price: £10.99
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