
FAQ About Jean-Jacques Rousseau

What did Rousseau mean by 'Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains'?
This famous quote from 'The Social Contract' highlights Rousseau's belief that while individuals are born with natural freedom, social institutions and structures often restrict this freedom. He argued that these "chains" are societal constraints that prevent humans from achieving true liberty and equality, motivating his ideas for a society governed by the general will where people could live freely and equally.