Who among the following is the author of the book, The Social Contract?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) is the author of the seminal work 'The Social Contract' (1762) [1]. In this book, he argued that the relationship between rulers and the ruled should be bound by a contract, famously stating, 'Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains' [1]. Rousseau proposed a form of government based on a social contract between the people and their representatives, emphasizing the 'general will' and democratic principles [4]. While other philosophers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke also developed social contract theories, their primary works are 'Leviathan' and 'Two Treatises of Government', respectively [2]. Rousseau's ideas were highly influential during the French Revolution, particularly among members of the Third Estate who sought a society based on freedom and equal laws [2].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 11: The Age of Revolutions > Role of Intellectuals > p. 158
2. [4] India and the Contemporary World - I. History-Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: The French Revolution > 2 The Outbreak of the Revolution > p. 8
3. [2] India and the Contemporary World - I. History-Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 1: The French Revolution > 1.3 A Growing Middle Class Envisages an End to Privileges > p. 6