- 01The Problem of Legitimate Administration
- 02Men as They Are and Laws as They Might Be
- 03The Search for a Sure Rule of Civil Order
- 01Freedom as the Basis of Political Association
- 02The Central Question of Human Chains and Civil Liberty
- 03Why Facts Cannot Create Right
- 01From Historical Facts to Universal Principles
- 02The Difference Between Positive Law and Political Right
- 03The Contract as the Basis of Legitimate Society
The Social Contract
by Jean-Jacques Rousseau · 1762 · 38 chapters · 24/7 tutor
Popular sovereignty and political legitimacy.
38Chapters
114Lessons
342Topics
Certificate of completion included
This course was produced by Cavua from a public-domain text.
Skills this course leaves you with.
- Explain Rousseau’s argument for the social contract as the basis of political authority
- Analyze the concepts of sovereignty, popular will, and political legitimacy
- Evaluate Rousseau’s critiques of force, conquest, slavery, and divided sovereignty
- Describe how civil society transforms natural freedom into civil and moral freedom
- Assess the role of law, property, and legislation in maintaining the common good
Curriculum
The full table of contents.
Every chapter, every lesson, every topic — laid out before you enroll. Click any chapter to expand it.
- Chapters
- 38
- Lessons
- 114
- Topics
- 342
- 01The Family as the Earliest Social Unit
- 02Paternal Authority and Natural Independence
- 03Why the State Is Not a Family
- 01Self-Preservation in the Forests
- 02Compassion Before Reflection
- 03The Absence of Property and Dependence
- 01The Rise of Language and Mutual Recognition
- 02The First Steps Toward Comparison and Pride
- 03How Social Life Produces Inequality
- 01The Absurdity of Might as a Legal Title
- 02War as a Relation Between States, Not Persons
- 03Why Slavery Cannot Be Legitimate
- 01Alienating Liberty for Oneself and Posterity
- 02The Futility of Obedience Under Coercion
- 03The Difference Between Power and Authority
- 01Conquest as No Foundation for Ownership
- 02The Vanquished Under the Mercy of the Victor
- 03Why Force Cannot Create Political Obligation
- 01The Limits of Historical Inquiry into Public Right
- 02Why Contract Theories Often Invent History
- 03The Problem of Treating Society as Naturally Unjust
- 01Why a First Convention Must Be Presupposed
- 02The Transition from Nature to Society
- 03The People as the Source of Political Association
- 01Mutual Covenant and Combination into a Civil Body Politic
- 02The Contract Between Individuals Rather Than Ruler and Ruled
- 03The Historical Use of Contract Language in Politics
- 01Each Person Alienates Himself to the Whole Community
- 02The Formation of the Body Politic
- 03The Exchange of Natural Independence for Civil Freedom
- 01The Public Deliberation That Binds All Subjects
- 02The Distinction Between Sovereign and Government
- 03The Civil Person as a Moral and Collective Being
- 01Obeying Only Oneself Through the Common Will
- 02Equality of Rights Under the Compact
- 03The General Will as the Basis of Legitimate Society
- 01Sovereignty as a Legal and Political Term
- 02The Sovereign as the Collective Body of Citizens
- 03Why Sovereignty Cannot Be Delegated Away
- 01The Sovereign as the Holder of the General Will
- 02The General Will as Common Interest
- 03The Difference Between Particular and General Wills
- 01The Sovereign Cannot Act Against the Common Good
- 02The Need for Active Popular Consent
- 03The Sovereign’s Relation to Law and Administration
- 01The Passage from Natural to Civil Liberty
- 02The Moral Change Produced by the Social Compact
- 03Civil Equality Under the Law
- 01Real Property and Public Possession
- 02The Social Basis of Ownership
- 03How the Compact Secures Goods and Persons
- 01The Body Politic as an Organized Living Body
- 02The Citizen’s Duties Within the Republic
- 03Public Interest Versus Private Will
- 01Property as a Civil Institution
- 02The Establishment of Laws and Property
- 03The Relation Between Labor and Possession
- 01Wealth as the First Term of Inequality
- 02The Growth of Luxury and Dependence
- 03How Civil Society Alters Human Wants
- 01Real and Personal Contributions
- 02Taxing Necessities Versus Superfluities
- 03The Burden of Taxes on the Poor
- 01The Inalienability of the Sovereign Power
- 02Why a People Cannot Give Away Its Will Forever
- 03The Difference Between Delegation and Alienation
- 01Popular Will as the Basis of Legitimacy
- 02The Sovereign Authority as a Collective Right
- 03Why Representation Cannot Replace Sovereignty
- 01Why Liberty Cannot Be Irrevocably Surrendered
- 02The Absurdity of Permanent Self-Subjection
- 03Posterity and the Rights of Future Citizens
- 01Sovereignty as One and Simple
- 02Why Division Destroys Sovereignty
- 03The Illusion of Divided Rights
- 01Separating Prince, People, and Sovereign
- 02The Mistaken Partition of Legislative Authority
- 03The Difference Between Functions and Sovereignty
- 01Votes as Expressions of the Whole Community
- 02When Majority Rule Reflects the General Will
- 03The Risk of Corruption in Popular Assemblies
- 01Why the General Will Is Not Always Correctly Expressed
- 02The Difference Between the General Will and Particular Interests
- 03How Citizens Can Mistake Their Own Interest
- 01The Need for Proper Deliberative Conditions
- 02Voting as a Test of Civic Judgment
- 03Secret Ballot and Corruption
- 01Law as an Act of the General Will
- 02The Public Judgment Behind Censorship
- 03The Relation Between Morals and Laws
- 01The Sovereign Cannot Act Beyond the Common Good
- 02The Limits Imposed by the Social Compact
- 03Why Sovereign Power Cannot Be Arbitrary
- 01What Each Citizen Alienates and Retains
- 02The Public Good as the Measure of Authority
- 03The Citizen’s Protection Against Personal Dependence
- 01The State as Guardian of Liberty
- 02The Danger of Overreaching Public Power
- 03The Need for Constitutional Restraint
- 01The State’s Claim Over the Citizen’s Life
- 02Why Public Authority Can Condemn a Citizen
- 03The Citizen’s Duty in Extreme Necessity
- 01The Logic of Capital Punishment
- 02The Relation Between Crime and Public Execration
- 03The State’s Right to Preserve Itself
- 01The Bounds of Moral Possibility
- 02Why Justice Must Not Be Confused with Negligence
- 03The Republic’s Need for Civic Virtue
- 01The People as the Measure of the Body Politic
- 02Population, Territory, and Political Scale
- 03The Conditions for a Well-Ordered State
- 01The Greatest Good as the Aim of Legislation
- 02Custom, Morals, and Public Opinion
- 03How Laws Shape the People’s Character
- 01Government as an Intermediate Body
- 02The Magistrate’s Three Wills
- 03The Effects of Size on Government Efficiency
- 01The Relation Between Territory and Population
- 02The Need for a Suitable Social Scale
- 03Why Large States Become Difficult to Govern
- 01The Best System of Legislation
- 02The Influence of Morals and Customs on Law
- 03The Role of Public Opinion in Political Stability
- 01Sparta and Rome as Political Models
- 02Geneva and the Swiss Free Cities
- 03The Decline of Peoples Through Corruption
- 01Measuring the Body Politic by Territory or People
- 02The Balance Between Expansion and Governance
- 03Why Fermentation Can Precede Reform
- 01How Laws Preserve or Alter the Constitution
- 02The Relationship Between Public Morality and Law
- 03The Role of Habit in Political Order
- 01Lycurgus and the Renewal of Sparta
- 02Rome After the Kings
- 03The Founding Moment of a State
- 01Government as an Intermediate Body Between Subjects and Sovereign
- 02The Execution of Laws by Magistrates
- 03The Relation Between Government and Public Correspondence
- 01Democracy, Aristocracy, and Monarchy
- 02The Number of Magistrates and Government Strength
- 03Mixed Arrangements Within Government
- 01The Tendency of Government to Contract
- 02The Death of the Body Politic
- 03Signs of Administrative Corruption
- 01Public Advantage as the Test of Good Rule
- 02Frugality, Equality, and Civic Strength
- 03Why Some Countries Suit Certain Governments Better
- 01The Tendency of Governments to Decay
- 02The Corruption of Magistrates and Officials
- 03The Weakening of Public Authority Through Luxury
- 01Intermediate Magistrates as a Check
- 02The Need for Public Virtue in Free States
- 03The Danger of Monarchical Concentration
- 01Political, Civil, Criminal, and Customary Law
- 02Law as the Declaration of the General Will
- 03The Relation Between Law and Public Judgment
- 01The Role of the Legislator
- 02Why Great Founders Need Exceptional Wisdom
- 03The Example of Lycurgus and the Decemvirs
- 01The Use of Religion in Early Lawgiving
- 02Civil Religion and Social Sentiment
- 03The Moral Force of Public Institutions
- 01Government as an Intermediate Body
- 02The Execution of Laws and Public Correspondence
- 03The Distinction Between Sovereign and Government
- 01The Three Wills in the Magistrate
- 02The Relation Between Magistrates and Citizens
- 03Why Government Needs a Real Corporate Life
- 01Why Larger Governments Grow Remiss
- 02The Effects of Subdivision and Combination
- 03The Balance Between Strength and Responsiveness
- 01The Constituent Principle of Democracy
- 02The Constituent Principle of Aristocracy
- 03The Constituent Principle of Monarchy
- 01Hereditary, Elective, and Natural Aristocracy
- 02The Role of Senate and Magistracy
- 03The Conditions for Stable Administration
- 01Advantages and Weaknesses of Different Regimes
- 02The Public Good Under Free and Monarchical States
- 03The Problem of Corruption in Each Form
- 01The Three Main Forms of Government
- 02Government by the Many, the Few, or One
- 03The Relative Strength of Each Form
- 01Mixed Governments and Their Combinations
- 02The Use of Intermediate Magistrates
- 03The Transition from One Form to Another
- 01Venice and the Serrar di Consiglio
- 02Roman and Greek Political Arrangements
- 03The Effects of Electoral and Tribal Divisions
- 01Why Governments Become Mixed
- 02The Balance of Monarchical and Democratic Elements
- 03The Role of Intermediate Bodies
- 01The Tensions Within Composite Constitutions
- 02How Mixed Governments Can Preserve Liberty
- 03The Risk of Corruption in Hybrid Systems
- 01The Roman Comitia and Tribal Organization
- 02The Venetian Constitution as a Mixed Model
- 03Voting Procedures and Political Balance
- 01Why Governments Must Fit Countries
- 02The Influence of Climate and Resources
- 03Population Size and Administrative Form
- 01Why One Constitution Cannot Suit Every People
- 02The Importance of Customs and Morals
- 03The Need for Adaptation to Local Conditions
- 01Swiss and Genevan Civic Conditions
- 02Sparta’s Frugality and Strength
- 03Monarchical States and Their Particular Needs
- 01Public Advantage as the Chief Test
- 02Equality, Frugality, and Civic Virtue
- 03The Preservation of Liberty and Order
- 01The Strength of Public Opinion
- 02The Stability of Laws and Customs
- 03The Absence of Corruption and Luxury
- 01Sparta as a Model of Discipline
- 02Rome’s Early Civic Energy
- 03Geneva’s Republican Reputation
- 01The Natural Tendency Toward Degeneration
- 02The Growth of Luxury and Inequality
- 03The Weakening of Civic Virtue
- 01Corruption Among Magistrates
- 02The Abuse of Power by Officials
- 03The Loss of Public Trust
- 01The Fall of Sparta and Rome
- 02The Decay of Free States
- 03The Rise of Tyranny from Weak Government
- 01The Need for Periodic Popular Assemblies
- 02How the Sovereign Preserves Its Rights
- 03The Role of Active Consent
- 01Election as a Governmental Function
- 02The Lot as the Natural Method of Democracy
- 03The Roman Comitia and Voting Practice
- 01The Use of Intermediate Magistrates
- 02The Need for Small Political Communities
- 03How Public Deliberation Prevents Usurpation
- 01The Sovereign’s Exercise of Rights in Small States
- 02The Difficulty of Maintaining Popular Rule in Large States
- 03The Need for Constitutional Continuity
- 01Why Deputies Cannot Replace the People
- 02The Limits of Representative Government
- 03The Difference Between Administration and Sovereignty
- 01What the People Has Not Ratified Is No Law
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01How many chapters are in the Social Contract course?
The Social Contract course has 38 chapters, each with its own lessons and topics.
02How many lessons are in the Social Contract course?
There are 114 lessons across the course, and you can ask your 24/7 tutor about any of them.
03Can I see what the Social Contract course covers before I start?
Yes. The full curriculum is listed on this page, beginning with "CHAPTER I SUBJECT OF THE FIRST BOOK".
04Do I get a certificate for the Social Contract course?
Yes. Finishing the course earns a personal Cavua certificate of completion.
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