Manborninafamily，iscompelledtomaintainsociety，fromnecessity，fromnaturalinclination，andfromhabit。Thesamecreature，inhisfartherprogress，isengagedtoestablishpoliticalsociety，inordertoadministerjustice；withoutwhichtherecanbenopeaceamongthem，norsafety，normutualintercourse。Weare，therefore，tolookuponallthevastapparatusofourgovernment，ashavingultimatelynootherobjectorpurposebutthedistributionofjustice，or，inotherwords，thesupportofthetwelvejudges。Kingsandparliaments，fleetsandarmies，officersofthecourtandrevenue，ambassadors，ministers，andprivy—counsellors，areallsubordinateintheirendtothispartofadministration。Eventheclergy，astheirdutyleadsthemtoinculcatemorality，mayjustlybethought，sofarasregardsthisworld，tohavenootherusefulobjectoftheirinstitution。
Allmenaresensibleofthenecessityofjusticetomaintainpeaceandorder；andallmenaresensibleofthenecessityofpeaceandorderforthemaintenanceofsociety。Yet，notwithstandingthisstrongandobviousnecessity，suchisthefrailtyorperversenessofournature！itisimpossibletokeepmen，faithfullyandunerringly，inthepathsofjustice。Someextraordinarycircumstancesmayhappen，inwhichamanfindshisintereststobemorepromotedbyfraudorrapine，thanhurtbythebreachwhichhisinjusticemakesinthesocialunion。Butmuchmorefrequently，heisseducedfromhisgreatandimportant，butdistantinterests，bytheallurementofpresent，thoughoftenveryfrivoloustemptations。Thisgreatweaknessisincurableinhumannature。
Menmust，therefore，endeavourtopalliatewhattheycannotcure。Theymustinstitutesomepersons，undertheappellationofmagistrates，whosepeculiarofficeitis，topointoutthedecreesofequity，topunishtransgressors，tocorrectfraudandviolence，andtoobligemen，howeverreluctant，toconsulttheirownrealandpermanentinterests。Inaword，OBEDIENCEisanewdutywhichmustbeinventedtosupportthatofJUSTICE；andthetyesofequitymustbecorroboratedbythoseofallegiance。
Butstill，viewingmattersinanabstractlight，itmaybethought，thatnothingisgainedbythisalliance，andthatthefactitiousdutyofobedience，fromitsverynature，laysasfeebleaholdofthehumanmind，astheprimitiveandnaturaldutyofjustice。Peculiarinterestsandpresenttemptationsmayovercometheoneaswellastheother。Theyareequallyexposedtothesameinconvenience。Andtheman，whoisinclinedtobeabadneighbour，mustbeledbythesamemotives，wellorillunderstood，tobeabadcitizenandsubject。Nottomention，thatthemagistratehimselfmayoftenbenegligent，orpartial，orunjustinhisadministration。
Experience，however，proves，thatthereisagreatdifferencebetweenthecases。Orderinsociety，wefind，ismuchbettermaintainedbymeansofgovernment；andourdutytothemagistrateismorestrictlyguardedbytheprinciplesofhumannature，thanourdutytoourfellow—citizens。Theloveofdominionissostronginthebreastofman，thatmany，notonlysubmitto，butcourtallthedangers，andfatigues，andcaresofgovernment；andmen，onceraisedtothatstation，thoughoftenledastraybyprivatepassions，find，inordinarycases，avisibleinterestintheimpartialadministrationofjustice。Thepersons，whofirstattainthisdistinctionbytheconsent，tacitorexpress，ofthepeople，mustbeendowedwithsuperiorpersonalqualitiesofvalour，force，integrity，orprudence，whichcommandrespectandconfidence：andaftergovernmentisestablished，aregardtobirth，rank，andstationhasamightyinfluenceovermen，andenforcesthedecreesofthemagistrate。Theprinceorleaderexclaimsagainsteverydisorder，whichdisturbshissociety。Hesummonsallhispartizansandallmenofprobitytoaidhimincorrectingandredressingit：andheisreadilyfollowedbyallindifferentpersonsintheexecutionofhisoffice。Hesoonacquiresthepowerofrewardingtheseservices；andintheprogressofsociety，heestablishessubordinateministersandoftenamilitaryforce，whofindanimmediateandavisibleinterest，insupportinghisauthority。Habitsoonconsolidateswhatotherprinciplesofhumannaturehadimperfectlyfounded；
andmen，onceaccustomedtoobedience，neverthinkofdepartingfromthatpath，inwhichtheyandtheirancestorshaveconstantlytrod，andtowhichtheyareconfinedbysomanyurgentandvisiblemotives。
Butthoughthisprogressofhumanaffairsmayappearcertainandinevitable，andthoughthesupportwhichallegiancebringstojustice，befoundedonobviousprinciplesofhumannature，itcannotbeexpectedthatmenshouldbeforehandbeabletodiscoverthem，orforeseetheiroperation。Governmentcommencesmorecasuallyandmoreimperfectly。Itisprobable，thatthefirstascendantofonemanovermultitudesbegunduringastateofwar；
wherethesuperiorityofcourageandofgeniusdiscoversitselfmostvisibly，whereunanimityandconcertaremostrequisite，andwheretheperniciouseffectsofdisorderaremostsensiblyfelt。
Thelongcontinuanceofthatstate，anincidentcommonamongsavagetribes，enuredthepeopletosubmission；andifthechieftainpossessedasmuchequityasprudenceandvalour，hebecame，evenduringpeace，thearbiterofalldifferences，andcouldgradually，byamixtureofforceandconsent，establishhisauthority。Thebenefitsensiblyfeltfromhisinfluence，madeitbecherishedbythepeople，atleastbythepeaceableandwelldisposedamongthem；andifhissonenjoyedthesamegoodqualities，governmentadvancedthesoonertomaturityandperfection；butwasstillinafeeblestate，tillthefartherprogressofimprovementprocuredthemagistratearevenue，andenabledhimtobestowrewardsontheseveralinstrumentsofhisadministration，andtoinflictpunishmentsontherefractoryanddisobedient。Beforethatperiod，eachexertionofhisinfluencemusthavebeenparticular，andfoundedonthepeculiarcircumstancesofthecase。Afterit，submissionwasnolongeramatterofchoiceinthebulkofthecommunity，butwasrigorouslyexactedbytheauthorityofthesuprememagistrate。
Inallgovernments，thereisaperpetualintestinestruggle，openorsecret，betweenAUTHORITYandLIBERTY；andneitherofthemcaneverabsolutelyprevailinthecontest。Agreatsacrificeoflibertymustnecessarilybemadeineverygovernment；yeteventheauthority，whichconfinesliberty，cannever，andperhapsoughtnever，inanyconstitution，tobecomequiteentireanduncontroulable。Thesultanismasterofthelifeandfortuneofanyindividual；butwillnotbepermittedtoimposenewtaxesonhissubjects：aFrenchmonarchcanimposetaxesatpleasure；butwouldfinditdangeroustoattemptthelivesandfortunesofindividuals。Religionalso，inmostcountries，iscommonlyfoundtobeaveryintractableprinciple；
andotherprinciplesorprejudicesfrequentlyresistalltheauthorityofthecivilmagistrate；whosepower，beingfoundedonopinion，canneversubvertotheropinions，equallyrootedwiththatofhistitletodominion。Thegovernment，which，incommonappellation，receivestheappellationoffree，isthatwhichadmitsofapartitionofpoweramongseveralmembers，whoseunitedauthorityisnoless，oriscommonlygreaterthanthatofanymonarch；butwho，intheusualcourseofadministration，mustactbygeneralandequallaws，thatarepreviouslyknowntoallthemembersandtoalltheirsubjects。Inthissense，itmustbeowned，thatlibertyistheperfectionofcivilsociety；butstillauthoritymustbeacknowledgedessentialtoitsveryexistence：
andinthosecontests，whichsooftentakeplacebetweentheoneandtheother，thelattermay，onthataccount，challengethepreference。Unlessperhapsonemaysay(anditmaybesaidwithsomereason)thatacircumstance，whichisessentialtotheexistenceofcivilsociety，mustalwayssupportitself，andneedsbeguardedwithlessjealousy，thanonethatcontributesonlytoitsperfection，whichtheindolenceofmenissoapttoneglect，ortheirignorancetooverlook。