Jean-Jacques Rousseau published 'The Social Contract' in 1762. In this work, he introduced the concept of the 'General Will,' arguing that legitimate political authority rests on the consent of the governed. His ideas significantly influenced the development of democratic theory and the French Revolution, emphasizing popular sovereignty over absolute monarchical power.

Rousseau posits that as the population of a state increases, the government must become more concentrated to maintain efficiency. He argues that in a large state, a smaller number of magistrates is necessary to ensure decisive action and prevent the paralysis that can occur when too many individuals are involved in the executive process. This concentration helps maintain the state's integrity against the centrifugal forces of a large territory.

In his 'Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men', Rousseau famously argued that the invention of private property introduced inequality, greed, and conflict into human society. He viewed this development as the 'serpent' that corrupted the natural state of man, ultimately necessitating the social contract to establish a legitimate political order.

While Rousseau lived before the French Revolution, his radical ideas regarding the 'general will' and popular sovereignty were profoundly influential in shaping the intellectual climate that led to the 1789 Revolution. His critique of inequality and his vision of a society based on the collective will of the people became foundational texts for revolutionary leaders seeking to dismantle the absolute monarchy.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1712. He was a prominent Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer whose political philosophy influenced the Enlightenment throughout Europe and aspects of the French Revolution.

Rousseau argued that the invention of private property introduced inequality and competition, which corrupted the natural state of human equality. The social contract was thus proposed as a mechanism to rectify these injustices and restore a form of collective freedom.

The 'noble savage' concept refers to Rousseau's idea that humans, in their natural state, are inherently good and virtuous. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an 18th-century philosopher, argued that civilization and societal influences corrupt this innate goodness. The other options mentioned are also philosophers, but they did not introduce the 'noble savage' theory: John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Niccolò Machiavelli.

In Rousseau's social contract, individuals do not surrender their power to a monarch or a specific legislative body. Instead, they alienate their rights to the entire community. By doing so, they become part of a collective body that exercises the General Will, ensuring that individuals remain as free as they were before by obeying only themselves as part of the whole.

Rousseau viewed the General Will as a permanent and constant feature of the body politic. While the specific laws or policies derived from it might change to suit circumstances, the underlying principle of the General Will—the collective commitment to the common good—remains a stable and enduring foundation of a legitimate state.

Rousseau distinguishes between the 'general will' of the sovereign people and the 'corporate will' of the government. The corporate will represents the interests of the magistrates as a distinct body. He warns that this corporate will often conflicts with the general will, as the government may seek to expand its own power at the expense of the collective interest of the citizens.