Razan Al-Tartir

Dania Adra

English 203

9 Oct 2015

Rousseau says “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains” (Rousseau 113)

Rousseau, says that to create a legitimate political authority, it is essential to create a social contract, which aims for the general welfare, signing such a contract obligates the citizens to enter the social state, this what imprisons the citizens, but somehow I makes noblemen of us, although we lose our natural liberty, on the other hand we gain our civil liberty.

Social contract gather citizens in group called “sovereign”, which practice the legislative power, and offers them the “ownership of everything they possess” (Rousseau 113), it frees them from aiming to their personal private benefit, and forces them to aim for the general will.

It is a process of evolution, where citizens have to sacrifice their natural freedom, however it does not based on the principle of the survival of the fittest, on the contrary it develops altruism inside of us, although we are forced to aim for the general welfare.

Work cited

Rousseau,- Jean-Jaques.  “The social contract.”  Shifting   Narritives.  ED.  Zane S.Sinno, Lina Bioghlu-Karkkanawi, Dorota Fleszar, Najla Jarkas, Emma Moughabghab, Jennifer M.Nish, Rima Rantisi, Abir Ward. Lebanon: Center for Educational Consultation and Research, 2015.