Which philosopher popularized the idea of the social contract?

• A. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• B. Thomas Hobbes
• C. Charles Montesquieu
• D. John Locke

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is how political legitimacy is tied to a voluntary agreement among people. While many thinkers discussed a contract between the governed and a ruler, Rousseau is the one who popularized the phrase “the social contract” and gave it a vivid, democratic focus. In his work, he argues that legitimate authority comes from the collective will of the people and that sovereignty resides with the people as a whole, expressed through the general will. This framing made the concept widely known and connected to ideas of popular sovereignty and civic equality, influencing many later democratic theories.

Hobbes laid the groundwork by describing a contract to escape the state of nature and create order under a strong sovereign, and Locke built on consent and natural rights, but Rousseau’s articulation and emphasis on the general will pushed the idea into the mainstream of political philosophy and public debate. Montesquieu is known more for separating powers than for the social contract itself, which is why Rousseau stands out as the figure most associated with popularizing the concept.