We pursue these critiques in the second half of the syllabus, in the rise of what we now call the “social sciences,” much

Intensive Writing Class:
We pursue these critiques in the second half of the syllabus, in the rise of what we now call the “social sciences,” much

of which initially focused on analyzing the roots and consequences of the 19th century’s substantial economic—and not
just political-transformations. In the process, we will address some of social science’s enduring questions: the nature
and origin of the ties that bind and the conflicts that divide us, the existence and content of “human nature,” how social
forces of various kinds shape human motivations and actions, the extent to which ideas have changed and continue to
change the world, and the connection between political forms and economic systems,

Prompt.
Compare how Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau describe the state of nature and how they used their

specific definitions to define the terms of the social contract in their philosophical writings. In your essay draw directly
from the texts to shape your argument