Exploring the development of social inequality and its basis is the most profound part of Rousseau’s political thought. Through the investigation of the history of the development of human inequality, Rousseau not only described the development process of human inequality with dialectical thinking, but also almost correctly evaluated the role of private ownership, state, law and other elements in this development process, showing that A deeper insight and a more thorough critical spirit had an important impact on the subsequent development of Western political thought.

Rousseau believes that there is a true equality in the state of nature. Human beings' ability to self-improvement enables the continuous development of production, especially the emergence of private ownership, which makes human beings increasingly unequal. Rousseau decomposes this process into three stages: the inequality between the rich and the poor, the inequality between the strong and the weak, and the inequality between the master and the slave.

In the first stage, equality in the state of nature was broken. The emergence of private property and the concept of private ownership made human beings step out of the state of nature and enter civilized society. Subsequently, social inequality replaced nature. Inequality and the divide between rich and poor are gradually recognized by people.

When equality in the state of nature is destroyed, the most terrible chaos ensues. So the rich made some beautiful reasons, such as protecting the weak from oppression, restraining the ambitious, ensuring that everyone can possess what belongs to him, etc., to persuade the poor to unite to form a supreme alliance. Power, let this power govern everyone. In this way, the state emerged and the government was established. Human inequality then entered the second stage.

In the second stage, society and law came first, but instead entrenched inequality. Society and law give new shackles to the weak and new strength to the rich; they permanently eliminate natural freedom so that it can never be restored; they permanently establish the laws that protect private property and recognize inequality, Robbery became an inalienable right; henceforth the whole human race was driven to toil, servitude, and poverty for the benefit of a few ambitious men. ?

But the power formed through contract is legal, and the order between the ruler and the ruled is recognized by everyone. However, the impartial power originally derived from elections gradually degenerated. Conspiracies, factions, conflicts, and civil wars have increased people's suffering, and in order to ensure peace, people are increasingly willing to let others increase their enslavement. In this way, the hereditary leaders gradually became accustomed to regarding their official titles as their own property and themselves as the owners of the country. They also became accustomed to calling their compatriots slaves.

In this way, inequality enters the third stage. Despotism is the characteristic of this stage of inequality. Its orders have no room for consideration of morality and responsibility. The most blind obedience is the only virtue left by slaves. Here, all individuals are equal because they are all equal to zero. This state brings inequality to its peak, and all inequalities finally converge here. It is not until new changes occur that completely disintegrate this autocratic government, or bring it closer to a legal system, that this inequality begins to enter another stage. One cycle. This is the apex of inequality, this is the final point that closes a circle and meets the starting point from which we set out.