JeanJacques Rousseau is among the leading political philosophers of theEnlightenment. He sought to ground his political theory in an understanding ofhuman natur... » 

JeanJacques Rousseau is among the leading political philosophers of theEnlightenment. He sought to ground his political theory in an understanding ofhuman nature which he believed to be basically good. Here selfinterestdegenerated into a state of war from which humanity could only be extricated bythe imposition of a contract. «