Final answer:
Rousseau believed that the general will should guide the state, with individuals sacrificing some freedoms for the greater good, promoting direct democracy and consent of the governed.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a Swiss political philosopher, believed in the concept of the general will, which is the collective will of the citizens of a state that aims to promote the common good. According to Rousseau, individuals should voluntarily give up certain freedoms for the benefit of the whole community, making the state legitimate only if it is guided by the general will of the people. He favored a form of government where the social contract is between the people themselves, encouraging active participation in direct democracy and arguing that government must act with the consent of the governed in order to secure freedom and equality among its citizens.