The Social Contract

Cultural

(1762) A major work by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau states that governmental organization should be based on the general will of a society and should conform to the nature of human beings, and that the majority in a government has a right to banish resistant minorities.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"For many, the social contract that rewarded previous generations for hard work is breaking down," he adds.

From BBC

A spokeswoman said that OpenAI feels a responsibility to its users to “uphold our end of the social contract by keeping people safe, living up to our principles and delivering real value.”

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a sign that the social contract itself has begun to fray.

From Slate

The great inspiration Thomas Jefferson drew from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s writings on the “social contract” before penning one of mankind’s most eloquent documents in July of 1776 was based on his belief that people would make rational, indeed democratic, decisions if they had the right information.

From Salon

He is currently the director of The Social Contract and host of the “White Flag with Joe Walsh” podcast.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023