title: Of the Social Contract and Other Political Writings
author:  Jean-Jacques Rousseau 
description: <b>Jean-Jacques Rousseau</b> (1712&ndash;1778) is the author of numerous political and philosophical texts as well as entries on music for Diderot's <i>Encyclop&eacute;die</i> and the novels <i>La nouvelle H&eacute;lo&iuml;se</i> and <i>&Eacute;mile</i>.
zlib_text: ![](Images/image00232.jpeg)
  
  JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU
  
  Of the Social Contract and Other Political Writings
  
   _Edited by_
  
  CHRISTOPHER BERTRAM
  
   _Translated by_
  
  QUINTIN HOARE
  
  PENGUIN BOOKS
  
  Contents
  
  >  _Introduction_
  
  >  _Further Reading_
  
  > Of the Social Contract
  
  > Geneva MS ( _extract_ )
  
  > Principles of the Right of War
  
  > Letters Written from the Mountains  
  >  ( _selections_ )
  
  > Constitutional Proposal for Corsica
  
  > Considerations on the Government  
  >  of Poland
  
  >  _Notes_
  
  >  _Chronology_
  
  PENGUIN ![](Images/image00234.jpeg) CLASSICS
  
  OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT AND OTHER POLITICAL WRITINGS
  
  JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU was born in Geneva in 1712. Abandoned by his father at
  the age of ten, he tried his hand as an engraver’s apprentice before he left
  the city in 1728. From then on he was to wander Europe seeking an elusive
  happiness. At Turin he became a Catholic convert; and as a footman,
  seminarist, music teacher or tutor visited many parts of Switzerland and
  France. In 1732 he settled 