《社会契约论》又译《民约论》，作者在书中系统地阐述天赋人权观念，有力批驳了旧时代强者自有特权、奴役天生合理等论调，其主权在民的思想成为了法国大革命时期的一面旗帜，被写进《人权宣言》，深刻地影响了整个欧洲废除君主绝对权威的运动，是现代民主制度的基石。卢梭的这一精神和理想也体现在美国的《独立宣言》和宪法中。
《论人类不平等的起源》可以说是卢梭政治学说的导言，他第一次提出私有制是人类不平等的起源这一鲜明的观点，为其后写作的《社会契约论》奠定了基础。
《社会契约论》阐扬天赋人权观念，开启欧洲大革命的新纪元。这一思想既是《人权宣言》的理论基石，同时，这一精神及理想又写入美国《独立宣言》和宪法中，具有划时代的意义。
CONTENTS
The Social Contract or Principles of Political Right
BOOK I
1. Subject of the First Book.................................................................2
2. The First Societies............................................................................3
3. The Right of the Strongest..............................................................5
4. Slavery ...............................................................................................6
5. That We Must Always Go back to a First Convention.................11
6. The Social Compact.........................................................................12
7. The Sovereign ...................................................................................14
8. The Civil State..................................................................................16
9. Real Property....................................................................................18
BOOK II
1. That Sovereignty is Inalienable .......................................................21
2. That Sovereignty is Indivisible........................................................22
3. Whether the General Will Is Fallible .............................................24
4. The Limits of the Sovereign Power................................................26
5. The Right of Life and Death...........................................................29
6. Law ....................................................................................................31
7. The Legislator ...................................................................................35
8. The People ........................................................................................39
9. The People (Continued) ..................................................................41
10. The People (Continued) ................................................................43
11. The Various Systems of Legislation...............................................46
12. The Division of the Laws...............................................................49
BOOK III
1. Government in General...................................................................51
2. The Constituent Principle in the Various Forms
of Government .....................................................................................57
3. The Division of Governments ........................................................59
4. Democracy........................................................................................61
5. Aristocracy ........................................................................................63
6. Monarchy..........................................................................................65
7. Mixed Governments ........................................................................71
8. That All Forms of Government Do Not Suit All Countries........72
9. The Marks of a Good Government ...............................................78
10. The Abuse of Government and Its Tendency to Degenerate ....79
11. The Death of the Body Politic.......................................................82
12. How the Sovereign Authority Maintains Itself............................84
13. The Same (Continued)....................................................................85
14. The Same (Continued) ...................................................................86
15. Deputies or Representatives..........................................................87
16. That the Institution of Government Is Not a Contract ............91
17. The Institution of Government ....................................................92
18. How to Check the Usurpations of Government.........................94
BOOK IV
1. That the General Will Is Indestructible.........................................97
2. Voting ................................................................................................99
3. Elections............................................................................................102
4. The Roman Comitia ........................................................................104
5. The Tribunate....................................................................................115
6. The Dictatorship..............................................................................117
7. The Censorship.................................................................................120
8. Civil Religion ....................................................................................122
9. Conclusion........................................................................................133
A Discourse upon the Origin and the Foundation of the Inequality among Mankind
Introductory Note ...................................................................................136
QUESTION Proposed by the Academy of Dijon................................138
A Discourse upon the Origin and the Foundation of the Inequality .............................................................................................139
Part I .........................................................................................................143
Part II........................................................................................................178
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