Once an individual is engaged in a social contract, an individual loses their natural liberty in exchange for civil liberty, freedoms of a society, which in the long run deem more valuable. For instance, a individual cannot excrete his waste in public, however, he or she is now allowed access to a more sanitized lavatory which promotes healthier lifestyle. A more practical example would be the safety of the individual. Since the individual is no longer by himself or herself in the complete wilderness, he or she now gains protection, which is provided by the society. All individuals must give their entirety to the social contract to ensure that the terms of the contract are equal for every individual. Since each individual alienates himself or herself, the general will is the sovereign, which is the collective capacity in the people. .
However, the question of in what way do we remain as free as before, still proves troubling. Since no person is dependent of another individuals will, the general will acts as the sovereign, which is not only the sum of the individual wills, but more of the general interest or the rational will of a community since each individual helps to contribute to the creation of the will itself. Thus, an individual under the social contract who obeys the laws is really obeying himself or herself. This freedom that Rousseau describes is moral freedom, which is the freedom to do what the law commands. This should not be mistaken for the freedom of the state of nature, or doing whatever you desire. Moral freedom allows an individual under the social contract to gain justice and other moral qualities while replacing instinct from the state of nature. The gains from engaging in the social contract is civil liberty, proprietary ownership of all he possesses and most crucially, the addition of moral liberty, "which alone makes man truly the master of himself. For to be driven by appetite alone is slavery, and obedience to the law one has prescribed for oneself is liberty.
