Summary of The Social Contract & Discourses

The Social Contract & Discourses is a collection of political philosophy works by French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The Social Contract is Rousseau's most important work and is considered one of the most influential works of modern political philosophy. In it, Rousseau argues that government should be based on a social contract between the people and the government, in which the people give up some of their rights in exchange for security and protection. The Discourses is a collection of three essays in which Rousseau discusses issues such as freedom, democracy, and the ideal form of government. Both works contain Rousseau's theory of the general will, which states that the will of all should be respected as the only legitimate force in a society.