The Social Contract 社会契约论

InTheSocialContractRousseau(1712-1778)arguesforthepreservationofindividualfreedominpoliticalsociety.Anindividualcanonlybefreeunderthelaw,hesays,byvoluntarilyembracingthatlawashisown.Hence,beingfreeinsocietyrequireseachofustosubjugateourdesirestotheinterestsofall,thegeneralwill.Somehaveseeninthisthepromiseofafreeandequalrelationshipbetweensocietyandtheindividual,whileothershaveseenitasnothinglessthanablueprintfortotalitarianism.TheSocialContractisnotonlyoneofthegreatdefencesofcivilsociety,itisalsounflinchinginitsstudyofthedarkersideofpoliticalsystems.