Though he follows in the footsteps of classical liberal theorists such as John Locke or Adam Smith, Jean-Jacques Rousseau makes a notable departure from the core tradition in asserting that the individual is “forced to be free” in an ideal state. In subjecting themselves to the general will, one receives maximized freedom as determined by the collective’s goals. However, this argument implicitly assumes that the heads of state will necessarily adhere to the general will. Those at the top of the system must dictate to the public what that will is, and the malleability of that definition can be abused by those who do not align with democratic ideals. Under the guise of group representation, those in power can substitute their wills for that of the majority, thus creating the building blocks for totalitarian ideology. This essay seeks to define Rousseau’s thought as a philosophical set of ideas and a product of his historical moment. Through a brief overview of totalitarian ideology, subsequently, I draw lines of similarity between the system and what Rousseau enables through his ideas.