How did Jean-Jacques Rousseau distinguish natural liberty from civil liberty?

In the political philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the distinction between natural liberty and civil (or political) liberty is central to his theory of the social contract.

• Natural Liberty: Rousseau characterized this as the independence individuals possess in the state of nature. It is a form of freedom limited only by an individual's own physical strength and personal might.12
• Civil/Political Liberty: This is the "better kind of freedom" gained through a genuine social contract. By entering into a civil society, individuals surrender their natural independence to the community. In exchange, they receive rights that are legitimate and protected by the collective force of the state.12

Rousseau argued that this exchange is beneficial because it replaces rights of "dubious value"—which depend solely on personal power—with rights defined and enforced by the general will. True political liberty is achieved when citizens obey laws that they have prescribed for themselves as part of the collective sovereign, thereby ensuring that all individual rights remain subordinate to the common good.12