Which two Enlightenment philosophers are known for writing about a social contract between citizens and the government?

John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau both wrote influentially about the social contract: the idea that government gains authority through an agreement with the people. Locke emphasized protecting natural rights, while Rousseau focused on the people’s collective will. Montesquieu is best known for separation of powers, and Madison was an American statesman rather than an Enlightenment philosopher.

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