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When Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote the Social Contract, the concepts of liberty and freedom were not new ideas. Many political theorists such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke had already developed their own interpretations of liberty, and in fact Locke had already published his views on the social contract. What Rousseau did was to revolutionize the concepts encompassed by such weighty words, and introduce us to another approach to the social contract dilemma. What would …

…of a perfect society is clear: he is obviously displeased with the inequalities and oppression in the civilized societies he sees in 18th century Europe. This becomes clear in the first line of his discourse: "Man was/is born free, and everywhere he is in chains." The society which he presents certainly solves many of the problems present in these societies, and it appears that the citizens certainly would benefit from its formation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**