The Social Contract: The Principle of Political Rights

Rousseau's The Social Contract, Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws and Voltaire's Philosophical Correspondence are collectively known as the "Three Books of the Enlightenment". His lament that "all men are born free, yet everywhere they are in chains", his pursuit of popular sovereignty, his call for equality for all...

For the book "The Social Contract", I have selected the following sentences or paragraphs for you. These sentences or paragraphs show Rousseau's profound political thinking, unique perspective, beautiful language, wisdom and creative thoughts. For readers, I will maintain professionalism and output them by number. 1. "Man is born free, but he is always in chains." - This sentence is Rousseau's opening words on the theory of social contract, which deeply reveals the paradox of human freedom and bondage. 2. "The essence of the social contract is to find a form of combination that can protect and safeguard the person and property of each combiner with all common strength, and because of this combination, each individual who is united with the whole is just obeying himself and is still as free as before." - Rousseau expounded the core purpose of the social contract here, that is, to safeguard the combination of individual freedom and common interests. 3. "Each of us puts himself and all his strength under the supreme guidance of the public will, and we accept every member as an inseparable part of the whole in the community." - This sentence embodies the principle of public will and collectivity in the social contract. 4. "The sovereign is the executor of the public will, and he can only act in accordance with the public will." - Rousseau emphasized that the duty of the sovereign is to obey the public will, not the personal will. 5. "Once the political body is established, it should be committed to public happiness, not the happiness of individuals." - This sentence shows that the legitimacy of political power comes from the pursuit of public happiness. 6. "Law is the act of public will, and each of us has the obligation to obey the law because it is made by ourselves." - Rousseau believes that the law is the embodiment of the common will of citizens and therefore has universal binding force. 7. "True freedom is not to do whatever we want, but to act according to our own laws." - This sentence reveals the essence of freedom, that is, self-discipline. 8. "The government is an intermediary established between the subjects and the sovereign. Its duty is to enforce the law and maintain social and political freedom." - Rousseau defines the role and responsibilities of the government here. 9. "The people are sovereigns, and the government is only the executor of the people." - This sentence emphasizes the principle of popular sovereignty. 10. "Violence does not constitute power, and people only have the obligation to obey legitimate power." - Rousseau distinguished between power and violence here, emphasizing the legitimacy of power. 11. "All rights come from the people, and the power of the government is only a commission granted by the people." - This sentence reflects the idea of people authorizing the government. 12. "Sovereignty is inalienable, because it is essentially the life of the collective, and can only be represented by oneself." - Rousseau emphasized the inalienability of sovereignty. 13. "The existence of the state is to protect the freedom and equality of citizens, not to create inequality." - This sentence shows the legitimate basis for the existence of the state. 14. "The public opinion will never be wrong, because it is based on the common interests and wisdom of all the people." - Rousseau gave the public opinion the supreme status here. 15. "Everyone is born with the ability to improve themselves, and society should provide a fair environment to stimulate this ability." - This sentence reflects Rousseau's concern for personal development and social environment. 16. "In an ideal social contract, everyone should be both a sovereign and a subject." - Rousseau emphasized the principle of equality in the social contract. 17. "A true political society is based on common interests, not the simple addition of individual interests." - This sentence reveals the essential characteristics of a political society. 18. "The people have the right to change or abolish forms of government that are not conducive to public happiness." - Rousseau gave the people the right to revolution. 19. "Only through the social contract can mankind transition from a natural state to a civilized society." - This sentence summarizes the core idea of Rousseau's social contract theory. 20. "Freedom, equality and fraternity are the three cornerstones of human society, and the social contract is the way to realize these values." - Rousseau summarized his political philosophy here, showing his profound political wisdom.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was a famous philosopher, writer and political thinker in the French Enlightenment in the 18th century.< His ideas had a profound impact on the French Revolution and modern democracy.

Rousseau's life was full of legends, and his works involved many fields such as philosophy, education, and politics.< Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland, a Protestant country dominated by Calvinism.

His childhood was not happy, and his parents died early, causing him to live with relatives for a long time.< Despite this, Rousseau taught himself with his intelligence and wisdom.

He traveled in France, Switzerland and other places, and worked in various professions such as musician, teacher, and writer.< Rousseau's writing career began when he was in his 30s.

His works have a unique style and are known for their sincere emotions and radical views.< In The Social Contract, Rousseau proposed the concept of "popular sovereignty", believing that political power should come from the people, not the monarch or the nobility.

This view has had a huge impact on later generations and has become the cornerstone of modern democracy.< Rousseau's personal life was full of twists and turns.

He had emotional entanglements with many women, the most famous of which was his love affair with Therese Levasseur.< They had five children together, but because Rousseau thought he was unable to raise them, he sent the children to an orphanage.

This behavior caused great controversy at the time.< Rousseau's social influence is extensive and far-reaching.

The Social Contract is hailed as the "Bible of Modern Democracy" and its views are widely quoted.< Many authoritative media and experts have highly evaluated Rousseau.

For example, Time magazine listed Rousseau as one of the "100 Most Influential People in History".< At the same time, Rousseau's educational concepts also had an important influence on later generations, and his book Emile is considered to be the founding work of modern education.

Although Rousseau died in 1778, his thoughts and works are still of practical significance.< Today, Rousseau's The Social Contract is still an important research object in the fields of political science and philosophy.

At the same time, Rousseau's life and works have been constantly adapted into art forms such as movies and dramas to convey his thoughts and spirit.< In short, Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a great thinker and writer, and his works and thoughts had a profound impact on modern society.

By reading Rousseau's works, we can better understand the origin and development of modern democratic system and the progress of human society.