Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.

This elegant collector's edition presents Jean-Jacques Rousseau's classic philosophical work, The Social Contract, featuring gold cover embossing and gilded page-edges.

The Social Contract is one of the most influential studies of political philosophy ever made, presenting a radical vision of how society should be organised to ensure the liberty and equality of its citizens. Arguing against the 'divine right' of the monarchy, Rousseau instead claims that state should be governed by the collective will of the people and their shared interests. It is only through this 'social contract' that man can be free. Rousseau's ideas influenced both the French and American Revolutions and created the foundations of the liberal democratic societies that exist today.