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"What is freedom? What is equality? And what is sovereignty? A foundational text of modern political philosophy, Rousseau's Social Contract has generated much debate and exerted extraordinary influence not only on political thought, but also modern political history, by way of the French Revolution and other political events, ideals, and practices. The Social Contract is regularly studied in undergraduate courses of philosophy, political thought, and modern intellectual history, as well as being the subject of graduate seminars in numerous disciplines. The book inspires an ongoing flow of scholarly articles and monographs. Few texts have offered more influential and important answers to research questions than Rousseau's Social Contract, and in this new Cambridge Companion, a multidisciplinary team of contributors provides new ways to navigate this masterpiece of political philosophy- and its animating questions."--
List of contents
1. Introduction Matthew W. Maguire and David Lay Williams; 2. 'Every legitimate government is republican': Rousseau's debt to and departure from Montesquieu on republicanism John T. Scott; 3. What if there is no legislator? Rousseau's history of the government of Geneva Christopher Kelly; 4. Rousseau's republican citizenship: the moral psychology of the social contract Robin Douglass; 5. Rousseau's negative liberty: themes of domination and skepticism in the social contract Michael Locke McLendon; 6. Rousseau's ancient ends of legislation: liberty, equality (& fraternity) David Lay Williams; 7. Property and possession in Rousseau's social contract Rafeeq Hasan; 8. Political equality among unequals Melissa Schwartzberg; 9. On the primacy of peoplehood: nations and nationalism in Rousseau's social contract Richard Boyd; 10. Rousseau on voting and electoral laws Alexandra Oprea; 11. Rousseau and the puzzle of the Roman republic Geneviève Rousselière; 12. Rousseau's case against democracy Céline Spector; 13. Rousseau's dilemma or 'of civil religion' Steven B. Smith; 14. Entreating the political: politics and theology in Rousseau's social contract Matthew W. Maguire; 15. Civil religion and political unity: social contract 4.8 Ryan Patrick Hanley.
Summary
What is freedom? What is equality? What is sovereignty? Few texts have offered more influential answers to these questions than Rousseau's Social Contract, and in this new Cambridge Companion, a multidisciplinary team of contributors provide new ways to navigate a masterpiece of political philosophy- and its animating questions.
