Articles: in sciences and arts, in political economy, in the origin of languages

Articles Jean-Jacques Rousseau We must remember, here, that the foundation of the social contract is property, and that its first condition is that each person remains in peace with what they own. There is no doubt that the covenant itself obligates every individual, at least implicitly, to contribute to public needs. But since this obligation does not harm the fundamental law, and considering that those who pay taxes genuinely acknowledge the need for them, we see that this contribution, to be legitimate, must be voluntary, not individually, as if each citizen’s approval were necessary, and not merely according to their own wishes (as this directly contradicts the spirit of agreement and union), but based on a general will and on the multiplicity of voices.