[philosophy Law Binding] Rousseau (jean-jacques) - The Social Contract. Eo 1762.

ROUSSEAU (Jean-Jacques). The Social Contract or Principles of Political Law. In Amsterdam, at Marc Michel Rey, 1762. A flight. in in-12 format (168 x 102 mm) of 1 f. bl., 2 ff. n.fol., viii - 202 pp., 1 f. of publisher's catalog in fine and 1 f. bl. Contemporary binding in glazed and blond marbled half-calf, double gilt fillet framing the covers, ribbed spine decorated with bold cold fillets, set of small oblique gilt fillets on the edges, double gilt framing boxes, gilt fleurons , golden circles, old-red morocco title piece, golden title, golden palette at the head and tail, set of golden fillets on the cuts, salmon slices. First edition in 12vo format; published simultaneously with that in 8vo format. ''The 2 ff. unciphered preliminary works include the half-title: Oeuvres divers de JJ Rousseau. Volume Three. the back of which is white, and the title page, the back of which is white. But was there a false title for the copies of this edition of Social Contract sold separately? Dufour asks. Vignette engraved on copper with the title by Boily after Bolomey. ''I have put up for sale Volume III of the Various Works of JJ Rousseau, containing The Social Contract [...], in-12, 1762. I have made a large in-8 edition which is sold separately' '. (Marc Michel Rey cited in Dufour). Considered one of the inspirations of the ideas of the French Revolution, this work sets out with force and clarity the idea that the only form of legitimate political power is power finding its foundation in the will of the people (or “general will”). The Social Contract is a treatise on political philosophy presenting how man, having passed from the state of nature to the state of society, can establish a social order in the service of the general interest. The social pact that Rousseau proposes thus establishes the renunciation of each person of all their natural rights in order to obtain the civil freedom that society provides. This alienation of each subject of the State is this pact which offers equality to everyone. The legitimacy of the social pact - based on the fact that man does not literally alienate his natural right - thus suggests that the social pact is the sine qua non condition for the existence of man's natural right. And it is on this pact that Rousseau bases the entire democracy. Dufour, Bibliographic research on the printed works of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 134 - In French in the text, n°162 - Quérard VIII, La France littéraire p. 193 (only mentioning the 12mo edition) - Rahir, La Bibliothèque de l'amateur, p. 622 (''format pt in-8'') - Roussel, Dictionary of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, p.257 - Tchemerzine -8). Two blunt angles. Threadbare cuts. Stains affecting dishes. Shaved headdresses. The tail has slight worm work. Back showing a slightly altered shine as well as some rubbing. Some foxing and stains in the body of the book (more marked on the front pages). Tiny work of verse affecting the upper margin of the notebook funds; although more pronounced in the last pages (without however ever reaching the text). An attractive example nonetheless.