The Social Contract Terms

Along with democracy and monarchy, aristocracy is one of the three kinds of government that Rousseau outlines in Book III. (Rousseau uses the word “government” to refer only to the executive branch of the… read analysis of Aristocracy

While the term “citizen” generally refers to any individual who legally belongs to a nation or body politic, Rousseau uses it more narrowly. For Rousseau, people are “citizens” in their active capacity as part… read analysis of Citizen

During the Roman Republic, comitia were assemblies or committees that allowed citizens to craft and vote on legislation. Rousseau uses the comitia as an example of effective statecraft and argues that, because the comitia… read analysis of Comitia

A covenant is a legal agreement, association, or contract (including the social contract). read analysis of Covenant

As with many historical and philosophical terms throughout The Social Contract, Rousseau uses the word “dictator” in a way very different from its present-day meaning and connotations. He specifically uses the word in the… read analysis of Dictator

General will is a complicated but very important concept that essentially refers to a society’s capacity to pursue the goals that are in its citizens’ common interests. Rousseau argues that a state is only legitimate… read analysis of General Will

Rousseau defines government as the “legitimate exercise of the executive power,” which is the part of the state that implements the laws created by the sovereign. However, while this definition appears to… read analysis of Government

While Rousseau argues that a social contract is the basis of society and ensures that all citizens are equal, he also notes that such a contract does not appear out of thin air. Rather, some… read analysis of Lawgiver

Political legitimacy refers to whether a state is justified in setting laws and using physical force to administer those laws. Political theorists have interpreted this concept in a wide variety of ways throughout history, and… read analysis of Legitimacy

Magistrate is Rousseau’s word for a government administrator or civil servant, which he uses interchangeably with the terms “king” and “governor.” read analysis of Magistrate

According to Rousseau, monarchy is one of the three structures of government (meaning executive power), along with aristocracy and democracy. In a monarchy, one person (or magistrate) holds absolute power to… read analysis of Monarchy

A nation is the political and social community that a people creates through the social contract. For Rousseau, a nation is the same thing as a republic or body politic. read analysis of Nation

Patricians were the wealthy, powerful upper classes in ancient Rome. read analysis of Patricians

As opposed to people in general, a people or the people (as in “we the people…”) refers to a group of individuals who view themselves as a community with common interests and who band together… read analysis of The People

As apart from the normal definition of power (as in abilities, capacities, or forces that people have), Rousseau frequently writes about powers, in the sense of different agencies or institutions. For instance, he calls… read analysis of Power

Prince is a term that Rousseau uses—quite unconventionally—to refer to magistrates (or government administrators) as a collective. In short, the “prince” is the executive branch or the government as a whole, as contrasted with the… read analysis of Prince

For Rousseau, a republic is the same thing as a nation or body politic, although the word implies popular sovereignty (meaning that the state is formed and run by the people). read analysis of Republic

The Roman Republic was the second historical stage of ancient Rome, dating from the end of the Roman Kingdom in 509 BC to the creation of the Roman Empire in 27 BC. During this time… read analysis of Roman Republic

The social contract is Rousseau’s central concept in this book, and it essentially refers to a hypothetical agreement that the members of society make with one another. In this agreement, they decide to form… read analysis of Social Contract

This term broadly refers to the leader of a state, whether an individual or a collective body (like a legislature or popular assembly). Because the sovereign is the highest authority in a republic… read analysis of Sovereign

Sovereignty refers to a state’s power to govern itself, and this power resides in the part or aspect of the state called the sovereign. According to Rousseau’s theory of the social contract… read analysis of Sovereignty

This is the most general term for a political community, and it can refer to any political organization with authority over a certain population and territory. For Rousseau, the term is similar to nation… read analysis of State

The “state of nature” is the (hypothetical) set of conditions in which human beings lived before organizing into societies. Because it allows us to understand why people would choose to live in society, the concept… read analysis of State of Nature

A subject is someone who has to obey the state’s laws (or who is subjected to those laws). For Rousseau’s purposes, this means anyone who is a member of a nation and it… read analysis of Subject

Tyranny is an undesirable kind of state, in which a single ruler (or tyrant) exercises both absolute sovereignty and absolute executive power. With no legal checks to limit their power, tyrants put their personal… read analysis of Tyranny