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Single Idea 19847
[filed under theme 25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 1. Slavery
]
Full Idea
To decide that the son of a slave is born a slave is to decide that he is not a man.
Gist of Idea
We can never assume that the son of a slave is a slave
Source
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (The Social Contract (tr Cress) [1762], IV.2)
Book Ref
Rousseau,Jean-Jacques: 'The Basic Political Writings', ed/tr. Cress,Donald A. [Hackett 1987], p.205
A Reaction
Obviously this is because men are 'born free', though I am not clear how that maxim can be reached. I take it for granted that African slaves in the Americas found themselves born into slavery. No justification was required.
The
86 ideas
from 'The Social Contract (tr Cress)'
20501
|
Rousseau assumes that laws need a people united by custom and tradition
[Rousseau, by Wolff,J]
|
20567
|
Rousseau insists that popular sovereignty needs a means of expressing consent
[Rousseau, by Oksala]
|
7232
|
Man is born free, and he is everywhere in chains
[Rousseau]
|
7233
|
The social order is a sacred right, but based on covenants, not nature
[Rousseau]
|
19790
|
Force can only dominate if it is seen as a right, and obedience as a duty
[Rousseau]
|
7234
|
No man has any natural authority over his fellows
[Rousseau]
|
7235
|
Without freedom of will actions lack moral significance
[Rousseau]
|
19791
|
Natural mankind is too fragmented for states of peace, or of war and enmity
[Rousseau]
|
7236
|
War gives no right to inflict more destruction than is necessary for victory
[Rousseau]
|
7237
|
The act of becoming 'a people' is the real foundation of society
[Rousseau]
|
7238
|
Minorities only accept majority-voting because of a prior unanimous agreement
[Rousseau]
|
19794
|
If we all give up all of our rights together to the community, we will always support one another
[Rousseau]
|
19792
|
To overcome obstacles, people must unite their forces into a single unified power
[Rousseau]
|
7239
|
The social pact is the total subjection of individuals to the general will
[Rousseau]
|
19793
|
We need a protective association which unites forces, but retains individual freedom
[Rousseau]
|
7240
|
To foreign powers a state is seen as a simple individual
[Rousseau]
|
19795
|
The act of association commits citizens to the state, and the state to its citizens
[Rousseau]
|
19797
|
Citizens must ultimately for forced to accept the general will (so freedom is compulsory!)
[Rousseau]
|
19796
|
Individual citizens still retain a private will, which may be contrary to the general will
[Rousseau]
|
7241
|
In society man loses natural liberty, but gains a right to civil liberty and property
[Rousseau]
|
7242
|
Appetite alone is slavery, and self-prescribed laws are freedom
[Rousseau]
|
19800
|
The social compact imposes conventional equality of rights on people who may start unequally
[Rousseau]
|
19799
|
Private property must always be subordinate to ownership by the whole community
[Rousseau]
|
19798
|
Ancient monarchs were kings of peoples; modern monarchs more cleverly rule a land
[Rousseau]
|
19801
|
Sovereignty is the exercise of the general will, which can never be delegated
[Rousseau]
|
7243
|
Silence of the people implies their consent
[Rousseau]
|
7244
|
The general will is common interest; the will of all is the sum of individual desires
[Rousseau]
|
19802
|
The general will is always right, but the will of all can err, because it includes private interests
[Rousseau]
|
19803
|
If the state contains associations there are fewer opinions, undermining the general will
[Rousseau]
|
19804
|
If a large knowledgeable population votes in isolation, their many choices will have good results
[Rousseau]
|
19808
|
The general will changes its nature when it focuses on particulars
[Rousseau]
|
19805
|
Just as people control their limbs, the general-will state has total control of its members
[Rousseau]
|
19807
|
Both nature and reason require that everything has a cause
[Rousseau]
|
19806
|
We alienate to society only what society needs - but society judges that, not us
[Rousseau]
|
19809
|
We accept the death penalty to prevent assassinations, so we must submit to it if necessary
[Rousseau]
|
19810
|
A trial proves that a criminal has broken the social treaty, and is no longer a member of the state
[Rousseau]
|
19811
|
Only people who are actually dangerous should be executed, even as an example
[Rousseau]
|
7245
|
Natural justice, without sanctions, benefits the wicked, who exploit it
[Rousseau]
|
7246
|
The general will is always good, but sometimes misunderstood
[Rousseau]
|
19812
|
Human nature changes among a people, into a moral and partial existence
[Rousseau]
|
19814
|
A state must be big enough to preserve itself, but small enough to be governable
[Rousseau]
|
19815
|
Too much land is a struggle, producing defensive war; too little makes dependence, and offensive war
[Rousseau]
|
19816
|
A state's purpose is liberty and equality - liberty for strength, and equality for liberty
[Rousseau]
|
7247
|
The greatest social good comes down to freedom and equality
[Rousseau]
|
7248
|
No citizen should be rich enough to buy another, and none so poor as forced to sell himself
[Rousseau]
|
19819
|
The state ensures liberty, so civil law separates citizens, and binds them to the state
[Rousseau]
|
19818
|
Political laws are fundamental, as they firmly organise the state - but they could still be changed
[Rousseau]
|
19817
|
Citizens should be independent of each other, and very dependent on the state
[Rousseau]
|
19822
|
If the state enlarges, the creators of the general will become less individually powerful
[Rousseau]
|
19823
|
If the population is larger, the government needs to be more powerful
[Rousseau]
|
19820
|
The state has a legislature and an executive, just like the will and physical power in a person
[Rousseau]
|
19821
|
I call the executive power the 'government', which is the 'prince' - a single person, or a group
[Rousseau]
|
19824
|
Large populations needs stronger control, which means power should be concentrated
[Rousseau]
|
19826
|
Democracy for small states, aristocracy for intermediate, monarchy for large
[Rousseau]
|
19825
|
If the sovereign entrusts government to at least half the citizens, that is 'democracy'
[Rousseau]
|
19827
|
Law makers and law implementers should be separate
[Rousseau]
|
19829
|
Natural aristocracy is primitive, and hereditary is dreadful, but elective aristocracy is best
[Rousseau]
|
7249
|
Natural aristocracy is primitive, hereditary is bad, and elective aristocracy is the best
[Rousseau]
|
19828
|
Democracy leads to internal strife, as people struggle to maintain or change ways of ruling
[Rousseau]
|
19835
|
When ministers change the state changes, because they always reverse policies
[Rousseau]
|
19830
|
Large states need a nobility to fill the gap between a single prince and the people
[Rousseau]
|
19832
|
Democratic elections are dangerous intervals in government
[Rousseau]
|
19833
|
Hereditary monarchy is easier, but can lead to dreadful monarchs
[Rousseau]
|
19834
|
Attempts to train future kings don't usually work, and the best have been unprepared
[Rousseau]
|
19831
|
The highest officers under a monarchy are normally useless; the public could choose much better
[Rousseau]
|
19836
|
The amount of taxation doesn't matter, if it quickly circulates back to the citizens
[Rousseau]
|
19838
|
The measure of a successful state is increase in its population
[Rousseau]
|
19837
|
If inhabitants are widely dispersed, organising a revolt is much more difficult
[Rousseau]
|
19839
|
The flourishing of arts and letters is too much admired
[Rousseau]
|
7250
|
Laws are authentic acts of the general will
[Rousseau]
|
19840
|
A citizen is a subject who is also sovereign
[Rousseau]
|
19841
|
Sometimes full liberty is only possible at the expense of some complete enslavement
[Rousseau]
|
7251
|
The English are actually slaves in between elections
[Rousseau]
|
19843
|
The state is not bound to leave civil authority to its leaders
[Rousseau]
|
19842
|
The government is instituted by a law, not by a contract
[Rousseau]
|
19844
|
Assemblies must always confirm the form of government, and the current administration
[Rousseau]
|
19846
|
The more unanimous the assembly, the stronger the general will becomes
[Rousseau]
|
19847
|
We can never assume that the son of a slave is a slave
[Rousseau]
|
19848
|
The sovereignty does not appoint the leaders
[Rousseau]
|
19850
|
By separating theological and political systems, Jesus caused divisions in the state
[Rousseau]
|
19851
|
Every society has a religion as its base
[Rousseau]
|
19852
|
Civil religion needs one supreme god, an afterlife, justice, and the sanctity of the social contract
[Rousseau]
|
19853
|
All religions should be tolerated, if they tolerate each other, and support citizenship
[Rousseau]
|
19849
|
In early theocracies the god was the king, and there were as many gods as nations
[Rousseau]
|
7252
|
A tyrant exploits Christians because they don't value this life, and are made to be slaves
[Rousseau]
|
23607
|
Wars are between States, not people, and the individuals are enemies by accident
[Rousseau]
|