Book I: Man Is Born Free but Everywhere in Chains
Now we get to the main event. The Social Contract itself. And Rousseau opens it with one of the most famous sentences in political philosophy:
Freedom
Freedom, Government, and Democracy According to Rousseau
This post covers a lot of ground. Freedom, government, democracy, civil religion, and Rousseau’s lasting impact. These are the final sections of the editor’s introduction, and they contain some of his most important and most misunderstood ideas.