The Social Contract

Using the text and outside research, compare and contrast the political theories of Rousseau, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Thomas Hobbes. In what ways does Rousseau most depart from the other two? And do the three share anything in common?

What is the difference between “natural liberty” and “civil liberty”? Does Rousseau believe one is superior to the other? And how does this relate to the difference between “natural inequality” and “civil equality”?

Are you convinced by Rousseau’s argument that obedience to “the general will” is a form of freedom? In what ways is this argument vulnerable to criticism? Think about concepts like the protection of minority rights against the majority and Rousseau’s contention that citizens must effectively be “forced to be free” (28).