Philosopical Words From Rousseau

Updated February 23, 2017 | Factmonster Staff

The Question:

To which French philosopher can I attribute the following quote, "Man is born free and is everywhere in chains."

The Answer:

This quote can be attributed to French philosopher, writer, and political theorist, Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

It is the first line of his 1762 essay "Du Contrat social (The Social Contract)." In the essay Rousseau maintained that human beings were essentially good and equal in the state of nature but were corrupted by the introduction of property, agriculture, science, and commerce.

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