Rousseau's Social Contract is a benchmark in political philosophy that has inspired and influenced moral and political thought since publication and is widely studied for this reason.

'Man is born free, yet everywhere he in chains.' The famous opening of Rousseau's On the Social Contract has resonated across the centuries. In his seminal work, Rousseau argues that all government is fundamentally flawed, and that modern society is based on a system that fosters inequality and servitude. This new edition of On the Social Contract is a revised and updated version of the classic Cole translation presented in modern English.

In The Social Contract, Rousseau wrote one of the most influential studies ever made. It is as relevant today as when it was first published more than 250 years ago. Political society, Rousseau argued, required each individual to submit their personal desires to the 'general will'. At the same time, there was no 'divine right' of the monarchy to allow them to act as they pleased. Therefore, there must be a social contract between governor and governed - the only truly legitimate form of government. Rousseau's ideas influenced both the French and American Revolutions and created the foundations of the liberal democratic societies we live in today.

John Locke is one of the most important figures in the history of political thought. His Second Treatise on Government was one of the most significant political statements of its time and provides the foundations of liberal political thought. His views on the social contract, political obligation, rebellion, revolution and property remain strikingly relevant today. Locke on Government introduces and assesses: * Locke's life and the background to the Second Treatise on Government *The text and ideas of the Second Treatise *The continuing importance of Locke's work to philosophy For student's coming to Locke for the first time, Locke on Government will be an invaluable guide to his political thought.