... contract. Although Thomas Hobbes was a predominant influence on the ideas of Jean-Jacques Rousseau as a social contract theorist, their ideas regarding social contract theory are exceptionally different. In his book, Leviathan, Hobbes portrays the natural condition of mankind, known as the "state of nature," as inherently violent and encompassed with fear. Hobbes further claims that the state of nature ... has its own separate "will" that is frequently in disagreement with the "general will" (Gourevitch, 1997). Rousseau discloses that this discord is what ultimately eradicates the state....

• Word Count: 2140
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate