The famous political philosopher who proposed the idea of "the social contract" was Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In his work, Rousseau argued that legitimate political authority rests on the consent of the governed, thus establishing the foundation for modern democratic thought. He believed in the intrinsic goodness of humans and posited that society’s corrupting influence required a new social arrangement where individuals would collectively agree to surrender certain freedoms for the greater good. Rousseau’s ideas significantly influenced revolutionary movements, augmenting concepts of individual rights and shaping political philosophies that play a role in contemporary governance.