…that which man desire, they are also said to LOVE; and HATE those things for which they have aversion. So that desire and love are the same thing; save that by desire, we always signify the absence of the object; by love, most commonly the presence of the same.

The passions that incline men to peace are fear of death, desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living; and a hope by their industry to obtain it.

The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it which obliges everyone; and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult in that, being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, liberty, or possessions.

Men living together according to reason, without a common superior on earth with authority to judge between them, is properly the state of nature.

The liberty of man in society is to be under no other legislative power but that established by consent in the commonwealth; nor under the dominion of any will or restraint of any law, but that legislative shall enact according to the trust put in it.

…that whosoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. This means nothing less than that he will be forced to be free.

The problem is to found a form of association, which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and property of each associate, and by which every person, while uniting himself with all, obeys nobody but himself and remains as free as before.

There is therefore a purely civil profession of faith of which the Sovereign should fix the articles, not exactly as religious dogmas, but as social sentiments without which a man cannot be a good citizen or a faithful subject.

It is quite compatible with the principle of utility to recognize the fact that some kinds of pleasure are more desirable and more valuable than others. It would be absurd that, while in estimating all other things, quality is considered as well as quantity, the estimation of pleasure should be supposed to depend on quantity alone.

…what people cannot do for themselves, can be fit to be done for them by government, people might be required to protect themselves by their skill and courage even against force, or to beg or by protection against it; as they actually do where the government is not capable of protecting them; and against fraud everyone has the protection of his own wits.

Seek peace if there is hope of attaining peace.

Civilization is not possible because lives are not secured.

Remove the state and we all go back to the state of nature.

The state will awe us all.

In the silence of the law, men are free.

Our biological equality leads to political equality.

Part of the problem in the state of nature is the absence of an impartial judge.

Remove the state and we do not go back to the state of nature.

The state of war can exist even with the presence of the state.

The powers of the state are legislative power, executive power, and federative power.

The state emerged to protect property without the consent of the people.

Civilization was not possible because there is no need for it.

The state of nature is a state of innocence and bliss.

To be free, we should obey the laws.

Everyone participates in the making of the law.

We have absolute rights to thought, conscience, and speech.

Moral coercive power of those who enforce traditions can hinder progress.

The only limit to our freedoms is injury to others.

It is better to pursue mental pleasures rather than bodily pleasures.

The basis for the determination of the role of government is expediency.