The premise is to distinguish two basic concepts of freedom-positive freedom and negative freedom: the desire to dominate oneself or participate in controlling one's life process (called positive freedom) and the desire to seek a series of freedom of action (called negative freedom).

Rousseau's freedom here is negative freedom, that is, the desire to act freely, which is absolute freedom. Moreover, Rousseau regards all the so-called civilized behaviors and etiquette as constraints on freedom, so as to understand that people are bound by shackles all the time.