Jean-Jacques Rousseau is as the most credible theory.

The most well-known passage from

Rousseau's The Social Contract is the opening line, "Men are born free, yet everywhere are in

bonds." Rousseau continues after this thought-provoking introduction by describing the various

ways that the "chains" of civil society repress man's fundamental entitlement to physical

freedom. He claims that despite the promise made to man when he joined that society, the civil

society does little to uphold the equality and individual liberty. According to Rousseau, the only

political authority that is legitimate is the authority that the entire populace has agreed to through

the signing of a social contract for the benefit of their mutual survival.

Rousseau explores the logical foundations of this social contract as well as its ideal form. The

sovereign, according to Rousseau, is the collective grouping of all individuals who voluntarily

join a civil society. This sovereign can be conceptualized, at least symbolically, as a single

person with a unified will. This idea is crucial because, despite the fact that real people may

naturally have various perspectives and desires depending on their unique situations, the

sovereign as a whole represents the collective will of all the people. According to Rousseau, this

general will is the necessity for everyone to work together for the common benefit.

The formulation of the state's laws is the general will's most crucial role, according to Rousseau.

Despite being codified by a disinterested, outsider "lawgiver," these laws must fundamentally

reflect the popular will. Rousseau contends that although all laws must protect the rights to

individual freedom and equality among citizens, their specifics can be altered to suit local needs.

Although the general will of the sovereign, or the collective will of all the people, is responsible
for giving laws their existence, some form of government is required to carry out the executive

duty of executing laws and monitoring the overall operations of the state.

According on the size and makeup of the state, this government may take on a variety of forms,

including monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy, each of which has advantages and

disadvantages. He argues that monarchy is always the strongest form of government, that it

works best in hot climates, and that it might be required in all states during times of crisis.

However, he asserts that aristocracy, or rule by the few, is most stable and is the preferred form

in the majority of states. According to Rousseau, the world is generally peaceful, but in order to

resolve the disputes that unavoidably arise as society develops and people become more reliant

on one another to meet their needs, a social contract is required. This is why, in my opinion,

Rousseau's social contract is most known and most reliable.