On the Social Contract
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âMan was born free, but everywhere he is in chains.â Thus begins Jean-Jacques Rousseauâs influential 1762 work, On the Social Contract, a milestone of political science and essential reading for students of history, philosophy, and social science. A progressive work, it inspired worldwide political reforms, most notably the American and French Revolutions, because it argued that monarchs were not divinely empowered to legislate. Rousseau asserts that only the people, in the form of the sovereign, have that all-powerful right. On the Social Contractâs appeal and influence has been wide-ranging and continuous. It has been called an encomium to democracy and, at the same time, a blueprint for totalitarianism. Individualists, collectivists, anarchists, and socialists have all taken courage from Rousseauâs controversial masterpiece.
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712â1778) was one of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment in eighteenth-century Europe. His works were, and are, widely read, and he has been firmly established as a significant intellectual figure. His works and ideas influenced several noted philosophers and leaders of the French Revolution.
Erik Sandvold, award-winning actor and narrator, graduated with honors from Northwestern Universityâs theater department. His wide-ranging rÊsumÊ includes major roles with leading theater companies in Colorado; over thirty national, regional, and local television commercials; many short and feature-length films; and the narration of over five hundred books and countless magazine articles for the Library of Congress.
