The Social Contract
The Social Contract
paperback | English
Published:
31 July, 2003
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Description
'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 debate since its 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.
Translated and Introduced by Maurice Cranston
More Details
| Type | Book |
|---|---|
| ISBN13 | 9780140442014 |
| ISBN10 | 0140442014 |
| Number Of Pages | 192 |
| Item Weight | 148 g |
| Product Dimensions | 129 x 198 x 11 mm |
| Publisher / Reseller | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Format | paperback |
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Author's Bio
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) the French political philosopher and educationalist, is the author of A Discourse on Inequality, and Emile.
Maurice Cranston was Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics and wrote and published widely on Rousseau, including two volumes of biography.