How did Jean-Jacques Rousseau influence the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau exerted a profound influence on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen primarily through his political concept of the general will.12

Rousseau argued that a government is legitimate only when it acts as a representative of the general will of its citizens, rather than pursuing its own interests. This philosophical foundation was directly incorporated into the 1789 Declaration, most notably in Article 6, which defines law as the expression of the general will. By establishing that all citizens have the right to participate in legislation—either directly or indirectly—the Declaration reflected Rousseau’s belief that legitimate authority is derived from the collective will of the people.31

Ultimately, Rousseau’s work helped shift political thought toward popular sovereignty, providing a theoretical framework that challenged the monarchical regime and served as a cornerstone for the principles of liberty and equality enshrined in the document.312