Discourse on the Origin of Inequality

by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Originally published as «Discours sur l'origine et les fondements de l'inégalité parmi les hommes» (French)

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.