India, Jan. 15 -- Today's quote of the day is the famous opening line of The Social Contract, written in 1762 by the French-Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His text questions the legitimacy of political authority, breaking down the relationship between an individual and the state.

The quote is part of the first paragraph of Rousseau's work, which goes as follows: "Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains. One thinks himself the master of others, and still remains a greater slave than they. How did this change come about? I do not know. What can make it legitimate? That question I think I can answer."

Rousseau argues that true political authority comes from a social contract willingly accepted by the people, stressing id...