The Social Contract

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778)

The Social Contract outlines Rousseau's views on political justice, explaining how a just and legitimate state is to be founded, organized and administered. Rousseau sets forth, in his characteristically brazen and iconoclastic manner, the case for direct democracy, while simultaneously casting every other form of government as illegitimate and tantamount to slavery. Often hailed as a revolutionary document which sparked the French Revolution, The Social Contract serves both to inculcate dissatisfaction with actually-existing governments and to allow its readers to envision and desire a radically different form of political and social organization. (Summary by Eric Jonas)

Genre(s): *Non-fiction, Philosophy, Political Science

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 1-01-Subject of the First Book Diana Majlinger
00:01:40
Play 02 1-02-Primitive Societies Neeru Iyer
00:04:33
Play 03 1-03-The Right of the Strongest Neeru Iyer
00:02:44
Play 04 1-04-Slavery Rex Koontz
00:10:28
Play 05 1-05-That it is always necessary to go back to a first convention Justin Tovar
00:02:33
Play 06 1-06-The Social Pact Justin Tovar
00:05:23
Play 07 1-07-The Sovereign Christian Al-Kadi
00:05:50
Play 08 1-08-The Civil State Christian Al-Kadi
00:03:15
Play 09 1-09-Real Property Christian Al-Kadi
00:07:36
Play 10 2-01-That Sovereignty is inalienable Sienna
00:03:08
Play 11 2-02-That Soverignty is indivisible Sienna
00:04:43
Play 12 2-03-Whether the General Will can ere Sienna
00:02:58
Play 13 2-04-The limits of the sovereign power Sienna
00:08:49
Play 14 2-05-The right of Life and Death Availle
00:05:15
Play 15 2-06-The Law Patrick Wells
00:07:51
Play 16 2-07-The Legislator Anna Simon
00:08:32
Play 17 2-08-The People Ezwa
00:05:32
Play 18 2-09-The People (continued) Ezwa
00:06:11
Play 19 2-10-The People (continued) Ezwa
00:07:22
Play 20 2-11-The Different Systems of legislation Daniel Watkins
00:04:09
Play 21 2-12-Division of the Laws Daniel Watkins
00:03:10
Play 22 3-01-Government in general Christian Al-Kadi
00:15:20
Play 23 3-02-The Principle which constitutes the different forms of Government Christian Al-Kadi
00:07:34
Play 24 3-03-Classification of Governments Anna Simon
00:03:22
Play 25 3-04-Democracy Anna Simon
00:04:48
Play 26 3-05-Arisctocracy Anna Simon
00:04:49
Play 27 3-06-Monarchy Anna Simon
00:12:43
Play 28 3-07-Mixed Governments Sienna
00:02:43
Play 29 3-08-That every form of government is not fit for every country Sienna
00:11:56
Play 30 3-09-The Marks of a good Government Sienna
00:02:54
Play 31 3-10-The Abuse of the Government and its tendency to degenerate Sienna
00:04:48
Play 32 3-11-The Dissolution of the Body Politic Sienna
00:03:06
Play 33 3-12-How the sovereign Authority is Maintained Sibella Denton
00:02:26
Play 34 3-13-How the sovereign Authority is Maintained (continued) Sibella Denton
00:03:37
Play 35 3-14-How the sovereign Authority is Maintained (continued) Sibella Denton
00:02:00
Play 36 3-15-Deputies or Representatives Sibella Denton
00:07:36
Play 37 3-16-That the Institution of the Government is not a contract Sibella Denton
00:02:51
Play 38 3-17-The Institution of the Government Sibella Denton
00:02:44
Play 39 3-18-Means of Preventing Usurpations of the Government Sibella Denton
00:04:33
Play 40 4-01-That the General Will is indestructible Sibella Denton
00:04:54
Play 41 4-02-Voting Sibella Denton
00:06:20
Play 42 4-03-Elections Sibella Denton
00:04:31
Play 43 4-04-The Roman Comitia Rex Koontz
00:21:51
Play 44 4-05-The Tribuneship Daniel Watkins
00:04:06
Play 45 4-06-The Dictatorship Daniel Watkins
00:06:06
Play 46 4-07-The Censorship Daniel Watkins
00:03:47
Play 47 4-08-Civil Religion Rex Koontz
00:22:33
Play 48 4-09-Conclusion Daniel Watkins
00:01:07