Final answer:
Jean-Jacques Rousseau stated in his essay that man is naturally free but becomes constrained by societal structures. He argued for a government that responds to the general will, aligning with the ideas of direct democracy and popular sovereignty.
Step-by-step explanation:
In his winning essay, Jean-Jacques Rousseau discussed man's nature as fundamentally free yet constrained by society. In contrast to thinkers like John Locke, who believed in inherent rights and freedoms in the state of nature, Rousseau extended the argument to say that although 'Man is born free, yet he is in chains everywhere.' He suggested that man's shackles are a result of oppressive governments and that individuals should strive to take control and establish a government that is responsive to the general will. Rousseau's writings in The Social Contract advocate for a form of direct democracy, where the role of government is to secure freedom for its people, rejecting the notion of divine right of Kings and instead emphasizing the power of the people in forming and dissolving governments.