Book I

E56380

Book I is the opening section of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s political treatise *The Social Contract*, where he lays the philosophical groundwork for his theory of legitimate political authority and the social pact.

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Generate an image of Book I (Book I is the opening section of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s political treatise *The Social Contract*, where he lays the philosophical groundwork for his theory of legitimate political authority and the social pact.)

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Book I canonical 1

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Statements (40)

Predicate Object
instanceOf book section ⓘ
part of philosophical treatise ⓘ
arguesThat force does not create right ⓘ
no man has natural authority over his fellow men ⓘ
political authority must be founded on convention ⓘ
slavery is illegitimate ⓘ
the social contract can reconcile freedom with political obligation ⓘ
author Jean-Jacques Rousseau ⓘ
contains Rousseau’s famous formulation that man is born free and everywhere he is in chains ⓘ
countryOfOrigin Kingdom of France ⓘ
criticizes patriarchal theories of political power ⓘ
the idea that might makes right ⓘ
theories that justify absolute monarchy ⓘ
definesConcept general will (in preliminary form) ⓘ
legitimate authority ⓘ
social pact ⓘ
historicalContext 18th-century Enlightenment political thought ⓘ
influenced later democratic and republican theory ⓘ
modern discussions of political legitimacy ⓘ
introducesIdea citizens gain civil freedom in exchange for natural freedom ⓘ
each individual alienates himself totally to the whole community ⓘ
the body politic is formed by the social pact ⓘ
the sovereign is the collective body of citizens ⓘ
laysGroundworkFor Rousseau’s theory of legitimate political authority ⓘ
the concept of the social pact ⓘ
mainTheme critique of patriarchal and despotic power ⓘ
freedom and obedience ⓘ
legitimacy of political authority ⓘ
rejection of slavery as a basis of political authority ⓘ
social contract ⓘ
openingSectionOf The Social Contract ⓘ
originalPublicationOfWholeWork 1762 ⓘ
partOf The Social Contract ⓘ
philosophicalDiscipline political philosophy ⓘ
philosophicalTradition social contract theory ⓘ
purpose to establish the conditions under which political authority is legitimate ⓘ
to explain how individuals can remain free under a political order ⓘ
setsUpFor Book II (The Social Contract) ⓘ
linked to: The Social Contract
workLanguage French ⓘ
workTitle Du contrat social, Livre I ⓘ
linked to: The Social Contract

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Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.