The Social Contract
To many readers, "The Government of Poland" is surprising in the degree to which its recommendations sometimes defy the principles expressed in Rousseau's more famous work, "The Social Contract". Contrary to the perception of Rousseau as a radical — a view again largely based on "The Social Contract" — in "The Government of Poland" Rousseau displays caution and conservatism: "Never forget, as you dream of what you wish to gain, what you might lose."