Question

Who among the following political thinkers said "Man is born free and he is everywhere in chains"?

• A. Thomas Hobbes
• B. John Locke
• C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• D. Karl Marx

Hint:

Rousseau’s idea that "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains" illustrates his critique of the social contract and how society constrains natural liberty.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding Rousseau's quote.
This famous quote comes from Rousseau's The Social Contract, where he discusses the contradiction between man's natural freedom and the constraints imposed by society. Rousseau believed that although man is born free, the structures of society impose limitations on individual freedom.
Step 2: Analysis of options.
- (1) Thomas Hobbes: Hobbes viewed the state of nature as a chaotic "war of every man against every man," not focusing on freedom as Rousseau did.
- (2) John Locke: Locke believed in natural rights but did not use this specific quote. His ideas were more focused on property and governance.
- (3) Jean-Jacques Rousseau: This is correct. Rousseau wrote that "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains," criticizing societal structures that limit human freedom.
- (4) Karl Marx: Marx focused on class struggle and the economic basis of social inequality, not on the philosophical concept of natural freedom.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct answer is (3) Jean-Jacques Rousseau.