The Social Contract - Jean-Jacques Rousseau 

They use both

Usa Constitution much?

forsen

@@saimbhat6243 don't promote individualism, or I'll take my flipper off!

why do you say that?

@@danielom8446 Perhaps the corruption or bad/evil co-opting of it that can sometimes lie in misunderstandings. I'm being as vague as possible to inspire discussion.

@@dasuero7489 so the work of Galileo is harmful because snipers use lens/scopes

​@@danielom8446 Mainly because of the ideas presented in the book about the state of nature, the idea about a "will of the people" and his idea that you can fundamentally change man by changing social institutions and thus make the "new rational man" emerge after which all will be good.This book is in many ways the origin of what Hayek refered to as constructivist rationalism. The idea that we can construct society as we see fit. One of the main examples being the Committee of Public Safety led by Ropespierre during the French Revolution. Very inspired by The Social Contract in thier policy making. However, things, as is known, did not go as they had hoped. The "New Man" did not come. And so they began the Reign of Terror in an atempt to remove the those holding back the coming of the new age.

@@chrissermoon4156 and so the spread of democratic ideals was part of his legacy as well. I'm still unsure how his codification of basic social theory could be construed as a bad thing. You point out something bad happened because of it, i point out that that event's "bad"ness is tempered by its spreading of good ideas. You describe in part what he's done - but how was it bad for us?

AGREED . . ! !

@@oziasjohnson2463😊😊

Tell me a single good philosophy book by a frenchie. Even Descartes is overblown by a factor of 10 x.

why

@@luisneer Rousseau's ideas in this book and his others influenced many Socialist and communist dictators. His ideas set the wheel rolling for the French revolution which was an incredibly horrific time of French history. Also, his values are just so twisted (I don't think I could ever agree with any of the values of someone who gives all 5 of his children to an orphanage for no good reason and then proceeds to write a book on parenting). His writing, though not the first of it's kind, heavily influenced the Postmodernist movement and the idea that humans, left to their own devices, will revert to their supposedly natural state which is goodness and that all institutes are evil. I personally believe that all humans are born with a sin nature so this teaching goes directly against my beliefs as a Christian. I understand if you disagree with me, and although I think you are wrong I'll respect your beliefs.