Q0254
“The first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, thought of…” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Discourse on Inequality, Part II)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Discourse on Inequality, Part II. Theme: society.
English
The first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, thought of saying 'This is mine'…was the true founder of civil society.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Discourse on Inequality, Part II 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
Social philosophy asks how individuals and collectives constitute each other, and what justice requires of shared life. This passage enters that discussion through society.
Concepts in this quote
- Society
- Society is the web of institutions, customs, and mutual expectations in which individual freedom takes shape.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. (n.d.). The first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, thought of saying 'This is mine'…was the true founder of civil society. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0254
MLA: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. “The first man who, having enclosed a piece….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0254.
Chicago: Jean-Jacques Rousseau. “The first man who, having enclosed a piece….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0254.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “The first man who, having enclosed a piece…”?
The passage is attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Discourse on Inequality, Part II. The archive attributes this English wording to Discourse on Inequality, Part II 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 society?
Social philosophy asks how individuals and collectives constitute each other, and what justice requires of shared life. This passage enters that discussion through society.