Rousseau’s the Origin of Civil Society

As members of a society, we are at mercy of the bondage that follows. Even so, bondage

is a harsh analogy for what it suggests; all around us are rules and guidelines that we follow to fit

in and be more accepted. Though it is possible to not follow these rules or to break from these

chains, one must expect the consequences of doing so. Such were the beliefs of Jean-Jacques

Rousseau, a Genevan political philosopher and writer, known for several influential works

during the Enlightenment. Rousseau’s The Origin of Civil Society describes accurately the

contract in which we “sign” or otherwise as soon as we are integrated into a society, as

summarized in his quote, “Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains” (Rousseau 102).

Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s statement is relevant to people’s condition today in that as long as one

is part of a society, they have rules to follow in many forms, such as laws, civic duties, and social

norms.

If one manages to successfully live outside of the laws of a state, they have none to obey.

However, in this point in time, a very small percentage of people can claim this, as the vast

majority is part of a society in one way or another. In the case of the vast majority, there are

always laws or rules to keep order in the community. This takes away the complete, unchained

freedom of not being a part of a society in exchange for preservation and avoidance of becoming

an outcast. Rousseau alludes to this concept when he establishes the family as the first society. In his words, he claims that “children remain attached to the father only so long as they need him

for their preservation” (Rousseau 103). The analogy in this is that the children are the governed

and the father is the governor. The common people need a leader for their preservation and

prosperity, and in their passive livelihood they develop a sense of prudence and autonomy, just

as a child relies on their parents until they are of the age to think maturely enough to live on their

own. In exchange, a government expects the governed to give back for the benefit of each other

in the form of civic duties.

Rousseau believed that the government and the governed were obligated to serve each

other. While in a state, citizens have the benefit of protection and other services provided by

either the government or the cooperation of other citizens in the state. Some of these duties

include: obeying laws, paying taxes, or serving on a jury–it varies by state. Governments may

also offer the opportunity to vote, serve on community boards, run for office, and enlist in the

military. Even though many of these directly benefit the government, they are designed to

indirectly benefit the governed. Going by the principles of the social contract, we can see that no

one serves the people more than the people, and the government is merely meant to be a vehicle

to accomplish this. Rousseau writes that although man “deprives himself of some advantages

which