"Man was born free, but everywhere he is in chains." Thus begins Rousseau's influential 1762 work, in which he argues that all government is fundamentally flawed and that modern society is based on a system of inequality. The philosopher proposes an alternative system for the development of self-governing, self-disciplined citizens. Unabridged republication of the G. D. H. Cole translation.
The Wealth of Nations: Representative Selections by Adam Smith Milestone of political philosophy and first systematic formulation of classical English economics. Emphasizes concept of labor as only source of wealth, and defines wealth as access to convenience and pleasure.
Rights of Man by Thomas Paine Highly influential statement of faith in democracy and egalitarianism helped pave the way for social security for workers, public employment for those in need of work, abolition of laws limiting wages, other reforms.
Discourse on the Origin of Inequality by Jean-Jacques Rousseau A powerful, passionate explanation of the roots of social inequality, Rousseau's Discourse influenced virtually every major philosopher of the Enlightenment. It remains among the 18th-century's most provocative and frequently studied works.
