The Social Contract - by Jean Jacques Rousseau (Paperback)

About the Book

This volume brings together three of Rousseau's most important political writings--The Social Contract and The First Discourse (Discourse on the Sciences and Arts) and The Second Discourse (Discourse on the Origin and Foundations of Inequality)--and presents essays by major scholars that shed light on these texts.

Book Synopsis

"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains."

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, whose political philosophy influenced the progress of the Enlightenment throughout Europe.

Review Quotes

Great Ideas... is the right name for these slim, elegant paperbacks... They are written with precision, force, and care. ("The Wall Street Journal") Penguin Books hopes to provide an economical remedy for time-pressed readers in search of intellectual sustenance. ("USA Today")