The Social Contract & Discourse

The words slave and right contradict each other, and are mutually exclusive.

War then is a relation, not between man and man, but between State and State, and individuals are enemies only accidentally, not as men, nor even as citizens,[1] but as soldiers; not as members of their country, but as its defenders. Finally, each State can have for enemies only other States, and not men; for between things disparate in nature there can be no real relation.

The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty.

Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.