Rousseau and The Social Contract

The social contract, from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is a work on political philosophy that addresses the issue of freedom and equality of the human being, within a State that is builds from a contract, a pact, the result of the general will, in order to ensure basic freedoms and coexistence peaceful. In this lesson from a TEACHER, we offer you a resume of the most important work of the French philosopher. If you want to know more about the Social contract de Rousseau, a thinker who influenced the Enlightenment movement and the French Revolution, continue reading this article. We start with this summary of Rosseau's social contract!

“To renounce freedom is to renounce the quality of men, the rights of humanity and even duties ”.

Rousseau's Social Contract constitutes a criticism against the "despotism", which is a reflection of the crisis that modern society is experiencing, and constitutes the end of a cycle that begins in the state of nature and returns to the same place from which he came, since, as in this primordial state, all human beings are equal, since as servants, they are all equal for the Mister. In this way, the law of the strongest returns, which conditions a return to the state of nature, but this time, totally corrupt. With despotism the gap between the rulers and the ruled widens. Only the will of the former matters, while the latter sacrifice their private interests.

His rejection of all forms of domination leads him to affirm that, although he may seem paradoxical, the master is by no means free, since, the Freedom does not consist in imposing one's own will on that of others, but rather in not submitting to the will of another, nor submitting that of the other. The master thinks he is free, but he is not, because society has ended their natural freedom.

"Freedom consists less in doing his will than in not being subject to someone else's; it also consists in not submitting the will of another to ours. Whoever is master cannot be free, for to reign is to obey"

To continue with this summary of Rosseau's Social Contract, it is important that we know how this work is structured. Here we discover the 4 books that this publication consists of:

Book first

• Chapter I. Purpose of this book
• Chapter II. Of The First Societies
• Chapter III. Of the Right of Stronger
• Chapter IV. Of Slavery.
• Chapter V. It is mandatory to return to a first convention.
• Chapter VI. Of the Social Pact
• Chapter VII. Of the Sovereign
• Chapter VIII. Of the Civil Status
• Chapter IX. Of the Royal Domain

Rousseau starts from the thesis that all human beings are born free and equal by nature. "Man is born free and yet everywhere he is in chains". According to the thinker, the original state of the human being is the family, which constitutes “the first model of political society”, But in this state of humanity the law of the strongest prevails. Therefore, it is necessary to constitute a Rule of Law that guarantees human freedoms and protect you from abuses derived from your innate freedom. In this sense, power is a tool for control but also for protection.

Second book

• Chapter I. Sovereignty is Inalienable
• Chapter II. Sovereignty Is Indivisible
• Chapter III. If the General Will Can Err
• Chapter IV. Of The Limits Of Sovereign Power
• Chapter V. Of the Right of Life and Death.
• Chapter VI. Of the law
• Chapter VII. Of the Legislator
• Chapter VIII - IX - X. From town
• Chapter XI. Of The Various Legislation Systems
• Chapter XII. Laws Division

In this second book, Rousseau, like Aristotle, bets on the middle class. Peace and abundance are only possible if all members of society are equal.

Third book

• Chapter I. Of the Government in General
• Chapter II. Of The Principle That Constitutes The Various Forms Of Government
• Chapter III. Government Division
• Chapter IV. Of democracy
• Chapter V. Of the aristocracy
• Chapter VI. Of The Monarchy
• Chapter VII. Of the Mixed Governments
• Chapter VIII. All Forms Of Government Are Not Suitable For All Peoples
• Chapter IX. Of The Signs Of Good Governance
• Chapter X. Of Government Abuse And Its Proclivity To Degenerate
• Chapter XI. Of the Death of the Political Corps
• Chapter XII - XIII - XIV. On the Conservation of Sovereign Authority
• Chapter XV. Deputies or Representatives
• Chapter XVI. The Government Institution Is Not A Contract
• Chapter XVII. Of the Government Institution
• Chapter XVIII. How Usurpations Are Prevented

In this book, Rousseau expounds his theory about the most adequate form of government, which according to the philosopher, will depend on the number of inhabitants it has. “ANDThe democratic government suits the small states, the aristocratic one for the medium ones and the monarchy for the big ones.s ". Although for the thinker, the perfect government does not exist.

In this part, the philosopher will harshly condemn the luxurious life, which deviates from the ideal of the democratic republic. And influenced by Montesquieu, you will find an association between the forms of government and the climatology. Thus, he affirms he, "despotism suits hot countries, barbarism for cold ones, and civilization for intermediate regionss ". In addition, he assures, there is a relationship between the level of wealth / poverty, as well as the extension of territories, with the different systems of government, going so far as to say that luxury and abundance are typical of monarchical systems, the middle classes to the aristocratic ones, and poverty, is typical of the states democratic.

Fourth book

• Chapter I. The Indestructible General Will.
• Chapter II. Suffrage.
• Chapter III. Of The Elections.
• Chapter IV. Of the Roman Elections
• Chapter V. From the Tribunate
• Chapter VI. Of the dictatorship
• Chapter VII. Of Censorship
• Chapter VIII. Of Civil Religion.
• Chapter IX. Author's Conclusion

This book is a defense of simplicity, a virtue that only some people possess. These people stand out for their kindness, so they don't need too many laws. Who better to resolve the affairs of state than a group of peasants? In other words, Rousseau bets on the Will popular. This is the key to a happy life.

Finally, the philosopher will make a defense of the dictatorship as a preventive measure against the crisis in the republic and makes a criticism of christianity, since it goes against the idea of ​​freedom, that is, against the republic. Thus, Rousseau bets on a social morality, apart from the dogmas of the Christian religion.