The Social Contract

Rousseau's The Social Contract is a cornerstone in modern political and social thought and makes a strong case for democratic government and social empowerment. The Social Contract helped inspire political reforms or revolutions in Europe, especially in France. The Social Contract argued against the idea that monarchs were divinely empowered to legislate. Rousseau asserts that only the general will of the people has the right to legislate, for only under the general will can the people be s...