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Rousseau Social Contract

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In today's society, no matter where you are in the world we all have some sort of leader, no matter what form of government it is. Consequently, with that leader there are going to be certain limitations on what the people can and cannot do. However, that does not neccessarily mean that the people have no say and cannot take any action. It is all a matter of choice and whether or not the people are okay with those certain guidelines or laws. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Origin of Civil Society shows just that. "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains" (Jacobs 241). Rousseau explains how people living under the social norms or social contracts is the only way to a civil state. Well, who decides what that social contract is? Rousseau …show more content…

However he is not necessarily referring to what we know as slavery. He is explaining it in a more broad, yet deeper meaning. "Since no man has natural authority over his fellows, and since Might can produce no Right, the only foundation left for legitimate authority in human societies is Agreement." (Jacobs 244). Here Rousseau actually depicts two situations. One of which is a ruler that assumes they have control but in reality does not and the other one where the people under that ruler do not necessarily have to do what the ruler says. By human nature, we as a people are not slaves to anyone. We are given the will to choose to follow the norms and rules of society or simply not follow …show more content…

Rousseau refers to the general will as the common good of the people. Rousseau does, however, claim that there is not a physical contract between the government and the people. To make sure that the people obey themselves, the sovereign has to be the ultimate authority in the state, because, with this contract, it creates duties for both the government and the its citizens. The people would not be the supreme authority if they had to give in to the government. For Rousseau, the most important purpose of this general will is to be able to give creation of the laws within the state. These laws, though given and made by the citizens must express the general will. Accordingly, though all laws have to uphold the rights of individual freedom and equality among citizens, Rousseau also states that their different needs ,or well, wants can be accommodated to local circumstances. Even though laws owe their allegiance to the general will of the majority, or the people as a whole, some form of government is needed in order to carry out the formal function of law enforcement and watching over the day to day functioning of the

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