In 'The Social Contract' Rousseau (1712-1778) argues for the preservation of individual freedom in political society. An individual can only be free under the law, he says, by voluntarily embracing that law as his own. Hence, being free in society requires each of us to subjugate our desires to the interests of all, the general will. Some have seen in this the promise of a free and equal relationship between society and the individual, while others have seen it as nothing less than a blueprint for totalitarianism. 'The Social Contract' is not only one of the great defences of civil society, it is also unflinching in its study of the darker side of political systems. With an Introduction by Derek Matravers. AUTHOR: Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778) was, arguably, the most original, profound, and creative writer of the eighteenth century, but also the most controversial, and his work continues to divide opinion to this day. His 'Confessions' recreates the world in which he progressed from incompetent engraver to grand success; his enthusiasm for experience, his love of nature, and his uncompromising character make him an ideal guide to eighteenth-century Europe, and he was the author of some of the most profound work ever written on the relationship between the individual and the state.