Q0253
“To find a form of association…by which each, uniting with all, nevertheless…” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The Social Contract I.6)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Social Contract I.6. Theme: freedom.
English
To find a form of association…by which each, uniting with all, nevertheless obeys only himself, and remains as free as before.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Social Contract I.6 and files it under Social Contract Theory. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) was a Genevan-born philosopher and novelist of the French Enlightenment who unsettled its confidence in progress. Discourses on inequality and the arts, Émile, and The Social Contract made him famous and persecuted.
How to read this passage
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, community.
Concepts in this quote
- Freedom
- Freedom is among the most searched and most contested themes in philosophy: what it is to choose, to be responsible, and to live without illegitimate constraint.
- Community
- Community appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat community as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. (n.d.). To find a form of association…by which each, uniting with all, nevertheless obeys only himself, and remains as free as before. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0253
MLA: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. “To find a form of association…by which each,….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0253.
Chicago: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. “To find a form of association…by which each,….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0253.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “To find a form of association…by which each,…”?
The passage is attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract I.6. The archive attributes this English wording to The Social Contract I.6 and files it under Social Contract Theory. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Jean-Jacques Rousseau mean by freedom?
Philosophers distinguish several ideas under the single word freedom. Negative freedom emphasizes non-interference; positive freedom emphasizes the capacity to act according to reasons, virtue, or authentic desire. This passage enters that discussion through freedom, community.