•Philosophized on the nature of society and government
•The Social Contract
•individuals forming a society entered into a “social compact” with one another.
•the social compact obligated members of society to subordinate their “natural liberty” to “the supreme direction of the general will.”
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Like Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau also used the concept of a “state of nature” to draw conclusions about society and government.

Rousseau is probably best known for his idea of the “social compact,” which he outlined in his book The Social Contract. Locke had viewed societies as having been created through mutual consent of all members. Rousseau went a step further, claiming that instead of mere consent, individuals forming a society entered into a “social compact” with one another. The social compact balanced benefits with obligations. Those who entered into it would receive mutual protection and defense, along with assistance in overcoming obstacles that they could not conquer individually. In return, the social compact obligated members of society to subordinate their “natural liberty” (i.e., the freedom enjoyed by individuals in the state of nature) to “the supreme direction of the general will.”