In my point of view, Rousseau’s philosophy that “men are free under the general
will and thus find their freedom” speaks the truth, but only part of the truth. At the
time when Rousseau wrote The Social Contract in 1763, the French was ruled by
Monarch and Church and people being lead to believe that the power to rule comes
from god, a divine ruler represents the sovereignty and act on everyone’s behave.
However Rousseau purposed against the government that lead by its divine ruler
and its source of power, “As soon as [government] attempts to let any act come
from itself completely independently, it starts to lose its intermediary role.” He
argues that law and sovereignty must comes from general will and it should govern
us all, and sovereignty is invisible and inalienable. His idea is progressive enough at
the time and it later enlightened the French people and the started French
