The Social Contract
Author and narrator, presenting the principles of political right.
Book I
The author and narrator, presenting himself as a citizen and member of the Sovereign.
Subject of the First Book
Author and narrator, presenting the central paradox of human freedom and social bondage.
II: The First Societies
Author and narrator, presenting his critique of natural slavery and the family as the first society.
III: The Right of the Strongest
Author and narrator, presenting the argument against the right of the strongest.
Slavery
Author of the chapter, presenting arguments against slavery and despotism.
V: That We Must Always Go Back to a First Convention
Author and narrator, refuting despotism and arguing for the necessity of a first convention.
The Social Compact
Author of the Social Contract, presenting the foundational compact.
VII: The Sovereign
Author and primary voice, presenting the nature of the Sovereign and the social compact.
VIII: The Civil State
Rousseau presents the transition from the state of nature to the civil state as a remarkable change that substitutes justice for instinct and gives morality to human actions.
Real Property
Author of the Social Contract; argues for the subordination of private property to the community's right.
Book II
Primary author and narrator of the Social Contract.
I: That Sovereignty Is Inalienable
Author and narrator, presenting the deduction that sovereignty is inalienable.
II: That Sovereignty Is Indivisible
Author who argues for the indivisibility of sovereignty and criticizes political theorists for dividing it.
Whether the General Will Is Fallible
Author and narrator, presenting the argument that the general will is always right but the people can be deceived.
IV: The Limits of the Sovereign Power
Author and narrator, presenting the argument on the limits of sovereign power.
The Right of Life and Death
Author and narrator; presents the argument on the right of life and death within the social contract.
VI: Law
The author and primary voice, defining law and the role of the general will.
The Legislator
Author of the chapter, presenting the theory of the legislator as a superior intelligence needed to frame laws.
The People
Author and narrator, presenting his views on the fitness of peoples for legislation.
IX: The People (Continued)
Author and primary voice; presents arguments on optimal state size and the dangers of expansion.
X: The People (Continued)
Author and narrator, presenting his views on the ideal conditions for legislation and the relationship between territory and population.
XI: The Various Systems of Legislation
Author of the chapter, presenting his views on the ends of legislation and the need for adaptation to local circumstances.
XII: The Division of the Laws
Author and narrator, presenting the division of laws.
Government in General
Author and narrator, presenting his theory of government as an intermediate body and warning readers to read carefully.
II: The Constituent Principle in the Various Forms of Government
Author and narrator; presents the analysis of government's constituent principle and the three wills within magistrates.
III: The Division of Governments
Author of the chapter, presenting the classification of governments.
IV: Democracy
Author and narrator; presents the critique of democracy as a form of government.
V: Aristocracy
Author and primary voice; presents the analysis of aristocracy.
Monarchy
Author and primary voice analyzing monarchy.
That All Forms of Government Do Not Suit All Countries
Author presenting the argument that forms of government must suit the climate and economic conditions of a country.
X: The Abuse of Government and Its Tendency to Degenerate
Author of the chapter, analyzing the natural tendency of government to degenerate and the distinction between tyranny and despotism.
XII: How the Sovereign Authority Maintains Itself
Author and narrator, arguing for the necessity of popular assemblies and refuting objections with historical examples.
XIV: The Same (Continued)
Author and narrator, presenting the argument on the suspension of government when the sovereign people assembles.
Deputies or Representatives
Author and narrator; presents the argument against representation and for direct democracy.
XVI: That the Institution of Government Is Not a Contract
Author and primary voice arguing against the notion of a contract between people and government.
XVII: The Institution of Government
Author and narrator, presenting the theory of government institution.
How to Check the Usurpations of Government
Author and narrator, presenting his political theory on government and sovereignty.
Book IV
Author and narrator; presents the core arguments of the Social Contract.
I: That the General Will Is Indestructible
Author and narrator, presenting the argument on the indestructibility of the general will.
II: Voting
Author of the chapter, presenting his theory on voting and the general will.
Elections
Author and narrator; presents the analysis of electoral methods.
IV: The Roman Comitia
Author and narrator analyzing the Roman political system.
V: The Tribunate
Author and narrator of the chapter.
The Dictatorship
Author of the chapter, presenting his argument on the dictatorship as a necessary suspension of laws in emergencies.
VII: The Censorship
Author of the chapter, presenting his views on the censorship as a declarative body of public judgment.
Civil Religion
Author and narrator; presents his theory of civil religion and critiques historical and contemporary religious-political systems.
Endnotes
Author of the Social Contract; provides extensive commentary and clarifications in the endnotes.
