Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Social Contract, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Human Freedom and Society
Sovereignty, Citizenship, and Direct Democracy
Government and the Separation of Powers
National Longevity and Moral Virtue
Summary
Analysis
Rousseau argues that all legal systems must pursue two goals: “freedom and equality.” Freedom is the basis of the body politic, and equality is necessary to ensure freedom. Rousseau does not think everyone should have the same amount of “power and wealth,” but instead that nobody should have the power to do violence and nobody should be so rich that they can “buy another” person or so poor that they have to “sell [themselves].” Although perfect equality is impossible and unregulated societies tend toward inequality, the law should still promote equality as much as possible.
Freedom and equality are both the starting point and the endpoint of any legitimate state. Rousseau has already explained at length why freedom is necessary in the state: people are inherently free and could never freely agree to give up their freedom, which means they must freely agree to live in a society that protects their freedom in order for that society to be legitimate. In order for people to create a nation, they must all make the same covenant with the whole political community, and since it is this same covenant that establishes their membership in the community, everyone is an equal member of the community. By pointing out that not all differences in power and wealth actually make enough of a difference to create inequality, Rousseau dispels fears that he would want to impose extreme social controls to establish perfect uniformity, but he still makes the point that a society is more functional when its citizens consider one another to be equals.
Themes
Next, Rousseau explains that each country must adapt to its particular circumstances, especially its geography. For instance, a country with good farmland should expand agriculture and one with good coastland should build “develop trade and navigation.” Rousseau even explains why different ancient civilizations specialized in different trades through this geographical principle, and he argues that states must create laws that are “in harmony” with these natural needs in order to be successful.
Again, Rousseau believes that different contexts call for different nation-building strategies, which means that while there is a single formula for creating a legitimate state (a social contract of free equal citizens), there can be no such formula for creating a successful one. However, his explanation for ancient nations’ success relies very heavily on a discredited assumption that modern social scientists call “environmental determinism.” This belief has often been used to erase histories of violence and colonialism by suggesting that certain (usually European) nations prospered because of inherent geographical advantages, rather than violence.
Themes
