The Social Contract

Two decorative fleurons flank the page number (7).
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Grotius denies that all human power is established for the benefit of those who are governed: He cites slavery as an example. His most constant way of reasoning is to always establish right by fact*. One could employ a more consistent method, but not one more favorable to Tyrants.

IT IS therefore doubtful, according to Grotius, whether the human race belongs to a hundred men, or whether these hundred men belong to the human race; and he appears throughout his book to lean toward the former opinion:

• "Learned research on public law is often only the history of ancient abuses, and one is stubbornly mistaken when one takes the trouble to study them too much." Manuscript treatise on the interests of France with its neighbors; by M. L. M. d'A. The author refers to the Marquis d'Argenson. This is precisely what Grotius has done.