ABSTRACT

Rousseau’s treatise on political institutions bears the title Of the Social Contract or Principles of Political Right. The title suggests that we are being invited to a discussion of the basic organising principles of a political association or community. But Rousseau hesitated over the title and changed his mind several times before settling on his final choice. In the draft version – known as the Geneva Manuscript – we find Of the Social Contract crossed out, replaced with Of Civil Society and then reinstated. The subtitle there is first given as Essay on the Constitution of the State, replaced by Essay on the Formation of the Body Politic, replaced by Essay on the Formation of the State, which he in turn rejected in favour of Essay on the Form of the Republic. It is not clear that much depends on these equivocations, but they do presage a difficulty in classifying the text. Is Rousseau’s foremost intention to write a treatise about constitutional law, political philosophy or political sociology?