Men are Slaves

Man is born free yet everywhere he is in chains.

I will answer what can make subordination legitimate.

If I took into account only force, and the effects derived from it, I should say:

As long as a people is compelled to obey, and obeys, force does well.

As soon as it can shake off the yoke, and shakes it off, force does still better.

The person regains the liberty by the same right that took it away.

But the social order is a sacred right which is the basis of all other rights.

This right does not come from nature. Therefore it is based on conventions.

Chapter 2: The First Societies

The most ancient and natural of all societies is the family.

The children remain attached to the father for their preservation.

As soon as this need ceases, the natural bond is dissolved.

The children, released from the obedience they owed to the father, and the father, released from the care he owed his children, return equally to independence.

If they remain united, they continue so no longer naturally, but voluntarily.

The family itself is then maintained only by convention.

This common liberty results from the nature of man.

His first law is to provide for his own preservation, his first cares are those which he owes to himself.

As soon as he reaches years of discretion, he is the sole judge of the proper means of preserving himself, and consequently becomes his own master.

The family is the first model of political societies.

The ruler is the father. The people to the children.

All, being born free and equal, alienate their liberty only for their own advantage.

Grotius denies that all human power is established in favour of the governed, and quotes slavery as an example.

His method is to constantly establish right by fact.[1]

It would be possible to employ a more logical method, but none could be more favourable to tyrants.

According to Grotius, it is doubtful whether the human race belongs to 100 men, or that 100 men belong to the human race.

He seems to incline to the former alternative, which is also the view of Hobbes.

On this showing, the human species is divided into so many herds of cattle, each with its ruler, who keeps guard over them for the purpose of devouring them.

A shepherd is superior to his flock.

The rulers are the shepherds of men and are superior to them.

Thus, Philo tells us that the Emperor Caligula concluded that either:

• kings were gods or
• men were beasts.

This agrees with Hobbes and Grotius.

Aristotle had said that:

• men are not equal naturally
• some are born for slavery
• others for dominion

Aristotle was right. But he took the effect for the cause.

Every man born in slavery is born for slavery.

Slaves lose everything in their chains, even the desire of escaping from them. They love their servitude.

If then there are slaves by nature, it is because there have been slaves against nature. Force made the first slaves, and their cowardice perpetuated the condition.

Adam was sovereign of the world, as Robinson Crusoe was of his island, as long as he was its only inhabitant.

This empire had the advantage that the monarch, safe on his throne, had no rebellions, wars, or conspirators to fear.