“1. Men are born and remain | “It is agreed that anything of free and equal in rights. Social | power or property or liberty distinctions may only be founded | which is alienated by the social upon the general good.” | compact, is only a part of all | the use of which is of importance | to the community.”[53] | “2. The aim of all political | “To find a form of association associations is the preservation | which shall defend and protect of the national and imprescriptible | with the public force the person rights of man. These rights are | and property of each associate, liberty, property, security, and | and by means of which each, resistance of oppression.” | uniting with all, shall obey | however only himself, and remain | as free as before; such is the | fundamental problem of which the | _Social Contract_ gives the | solution.”[54] | “3. The principle [principe] of all | “I say then that the sovereignty, sovereignty resides essentially in | being only the exercise of the the nation. No body nor individual | general will, can never alienate may exercise any authority which | itself, and that the sovereign, does not proceed directly from the | who is not a collective being, nation.” | can be represented only by | himself; power can transmit | itself, but not will.”[55] | “4. Liberty consists in being able | “Any service that a citizen can to do everything which injures no | render the State is due from him one else; hence the exercise of the | whenever the sovereign demands it; natural rights of each man has no | but the sovereign, for his part, limits except those which assure to | cannot place any burden upon his the other member of the society the | subjects which will not be useful enjoyment of the same rights. These | to the community; he can not even limits can only be determined by | desire to do so, for, under the law.” | law of reason as under the law of | nature, there is nothing done | without a purpose.”[56] | “5. Law can only prohibit such | “When I say that the object of actions as are hurtful to society. | laws is always general, I mean Nothing may be prevented which is | that the law considers subjects not forbidden by law, and no one | in a body, and actions as