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The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide
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Unlock the more straightforward side of The Social Contract with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a political treatise containing the author’s reflections on the conditions necessary for liberty within civil societies. He emphasises the importance of the collective will and acting in the collective interest, which can be accomplished through a social contract. The Social Contract was considered highly subversive when it was first published and provided inspiration to political revolutionaries throughout Europe. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss-born writer, philosopher and political theorist. He was one of the most influential thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century, and his writings play an essential role in modern political and social thought.
Find out everything you need to know about The Social Contract in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you in your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time!
See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
This engaging summary presents an analysis of The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a political treatise containing the author’s reflections on the conditions necessary for liberty within civil societies. He emphasises the importance of the collective will and acting in the collective interest, which can be accomplished through a social contract. The Social Contract was considered highly subversive when it was first published and provided inspiration to political revolutionaries throughout Europe. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss-born writer, philosopher and political theorist. He was one of the most influential thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment in the 18th century, and his writings play an essential role in modern political and social thought.
Find out everything you need to know about The Social Contract in a fraction of the time!
This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection
Why choose BrightSummaries.com?
Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you in your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time!
See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!
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The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Book Analysis) - Bright Summaries
Genevan writer, philosopher and composer
Born in Geneva in 1712
Died in Ermenonville (France) in 1778
Notable works:
Julie, or the New Heloise (1761), epistolary novel
Emile, or On Education (1762), treatise on education
Reveries of a Solitary Walker (between 1776 and 1778), philosophical reflection
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was one of the most celebrated thinkers of the Age of Enlightenment and one of the spiritual fathers of the French Revolution. Born in Geneva in 1712, he had an eventful youth, during which he practised different professions such as private tutor and copyist. In Paris he became friendly with the philosophers of the Enlightenment and rose to fame in 1750 with his Discourse on the Arts and Sciences. In this work he developed what would become the central theme of his reflections: man is born naturally good and happy, but is corrupted and made unhappy by society. This was followed by major
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