A common thread: how similar are Rousseau and Marx's understandings of inequality and how do they differ in their prescriptions for creating a more just society?

Abstract

Rousseau and Marx have long been considered political philosophers that seem to share
commonly held positions with regards their understandings of humanity and society.
What follows is an attempt to appreciate the common thread that seems to run through
their work, none more so than their critiques of classical liberalism and the values that
came to be associated with it as well as the impact this ideology has on the legitimisation
of material inequality, as opposed to the formal equality that is recognised under classical
liberal systems. Both Marx and Rousseau argue for the insufficiency of formal equality
and as such formulate alternative accounts, particularly as they relate to their respective
understandings of liberty.