<P> In both moral and political philosophy , the social contract or political contract is a theory or model , originating during the Age of Enlightenment , that typically addresses the questions of the origin of society and the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual . Social contract arguments typically posit that individuals have consented , either explicitly or tacitly , to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of the ruler or magistrate ( or to the decision of a majority ) , in exchange for protection of their remaining rights . The question of the relation between natural and legal rights , therefore , is often an aspect of social contract theory . The term takes its name from The Social Contract ( Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique ) , a 1762 book by Jean - Jacques Rousseau that discussed this concept . </P>
<P> In both moral and political philosophy , the social contract or political contract is a theory or model , originating during the Age of Enlightenment , that typically addresses the questions of the origin of society and the legitimacy of the authority of the state over the individual . Social contract arguments typically posit that individuals have consented , either explicitly or tacitly , to surrender some of their freedoms and submit to the authority of the ruler or magistrate ( or to the decision of a majority ) , in exchange for protection of their remaining rights . The question of the relation between natural and legal rights , therefore , is often an aspect of social contract theory . The term takes its name from The Social Contract ( Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique ) , a 1762 book by Jean - Jacques Rousseau that discussed this concept . </P>
who was the main person that introduced the social contract theory of government
who was the main person that introduced the social contract theory of government
Jean - Jacques Rousseau
Jean - Jacques Rousseau