In his 'Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men', Rousseau explicitly states that he will set aside the historical facts of human development. He treats the state of nature as a hypothetical, philosophical construct rather than a literal historical event, allowing him to analyze the moral and political foundations of society without being constrained by empirical evidence.

Rousseau's concept of the social contract involves a dual transformation: individuals surrender their natural liberty to the community, and in return, they receive civil liberty and the protection of their rights. This contract is both a social agreement among individuals to form a collective body and a political act that establishes the 'General Will' as the sovereign authority, ensuring that the collective interest guides governance.

The publication of 'The Social Contract' in 1762 caused significant controversy in France. The French authorities, particularly the Parlement of Paris, condemned the book for its radical ideas regarding popular sovereignty and the nature of government. Consequently, an arrest warrant was issued, forcing Rousseau to flee France to avoid imprisonment, marking a turbulent period in his life as a philosopher.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau is the primary architect of the concept of popular sovereignty. In his work 'The Social Contract,' he argued that legitimate political authority resides in the 'General Will' of the people, rather than in a monarch or a representative body, making the collective citizenry the ultimate source of sovereignty.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau introduced the concept of the 'general will' in his work 'The Social Contract'. He argued that legitimate political authority rests on a collective agreement where individuals subordinate their private interests to the common good, thereby ensuring that the sovereign power remains with the people as a whole rather than a single ruler.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued in 'The Social Contract' that the legitimacy of a state rests upon the General Will. For Rousseau, the General Will represents the collective interest of the citizens. Regardless of the specific administrative structure or form of government, if the sovereign power is exercised in accordance with the General Will, the state remains legitimate and free.

Rousseau distinguished the 'general will' from the 'will of all'. While the will of all is merely the sum of individual private interests, the general will represents the collective interest aimed at the common good. Therefore, equating the general will simply to the collective will of the people is a common misinterpretation of his nuanced social contract theory.

While Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are all pillars of social contract theory, Rousseau's specific formulation of the 'General Will' and the collective sovereignty of the people makes him a central figure in this tradition. His work emphasizes the moral transformation of individuals into citizens through the social contract.

Rousseau explicitly distinguished the 'general will' from the 'will of all'. While the will of all is merely the sum of individual, selfish interests, the general will represents the collective interest of the community aimed at the common good. Therefore, defining the general will as an aggregate of individual desires is fundamentally incorrect according to Rousseau's political theory.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's political philosophy, particularly his concept of the 'General Will,' was highly influential during the French Revolution. His ideas regarding popular sovereignty and the social contract provided the theoretical framework for the French transition away from absolute monarchy toward a system based on the collective will of the people, which became a cornerstone of French constitutional thought.