1762Reputable sourceWell documented
Rousseau and the Social Contract
On the timeline · around 1762 ·
What happened
The Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau opened The Social Contract (1762) with the ringing words 'Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.' He argued that legitimate political authority rests on a social contract expressing the 'general will' of the people, and that sovereignty belongs to the people themselves.
Why it matters
Rousseau's ideas of popular sovereignty and the general will electrified political thought and helped inspire the French Revolution, shaping modern notions of democracy and citizenship.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Jean-Jacques Rousseau · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The French Revolution → — Rousseau's Social Contract inspired the French Revolution