At times he becomes less rigid, as when (under the influence of Montesquieu) he studies the relations between the physical constitution of a nation, its territory, its customs, its form of government, and its deep-rooted opinions, or avows that there has been too much dispute about the forms of government.

But such considerations are not prominent.

In certain cases his inconsistencies may be due to re-handling, but he is said to have observed that those who boasted of understanding the whole contract were more clever than he."[74] This may sound very severe, but it is entirely just.

The "Social Contract" consists of four books: (1) The founding of the civilized state by a social pact.

(2) The theory of the sovereignty of the people.