Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The social Contract




1712-1778




Since no man has any natural authority over his fellows,
and since force alone bestows no right, all legitimate
anuthority among men must be based on convenants.





Where are there laws, and where are they respected?
Everywhere you have seen only individual interest
and men's passions reigning under this name.
But the eternal laws of nature and order do exist.
For the wise man, they take the place of positive law.
They are written in the depth of his heart
by conscience and reason. It is to these
that he ought to enslave himself in order to be free.
The only slave is the man who does evil,
for he always does it in spite of himself.
Freedom is found in no form of government;
it is in the heart of the free man.
He takes it with him everywhere.
The vile man takes his servitude everywhere.





Never exceed your rights and they
will soon become unlimted.





Conscience never deceives us and is the true guide of
humanity. She is to the soul what instinct is to the body;
whoever follows her pursues the direct path of nature and
need not fear being mislead.





People who know little are usually great talkers,
while men who know much say little.





Those that are most slow in making a promise
are the most faithful in the performance of it.







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