Seminar

Book 1, Chapter 1

whilst technically each individual is free, we are bound by things like social constructs » “Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains”
social order, however, and the organisation of these ‘free’ individuals and society, does not come about organically » The Social Contract is therefore required
- “But the social order is a sacred right which serves as a basis for all other rights” » even though a social order may be incompatible with our natural rights to liberty, for us to gain subsequent right, it needs to be implemented
“So long as a people is constrained to obey, and obeys, it does well; but as soon as it can shake off the yoke, and shakes it off, it does better; for since it regains its freedom by the same right as that which removed it, a people is either justified in taking back its freedom, or there is no justifying those who took it away” » if an individual has given up their rights but is able to regain them from the State without the State collapsing, then those rights shouldn’t have been taken in the first place

“a state thus governed needs very few laws” » optimistic belief that there is a lack of heavily conflicting interests