Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Some remained altogether subject to the laws; others soon bowed their necks to masters. The former laboured to preserve their liberty; the latter thought of nothing but invading that of their neighbours, jealous at seeing others enjoy a blessing which themselves had lost.

man and man in a savage and domestic condition, than between beast and beast;

It would be a melancholy necessity for us to be obliged to allow, that this distinctive and almost unlimited faculty is the source of all man's misfortunes;

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

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

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

They are born men and free