“Man was born free, but he is everywhere in chains” (Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712-1778). Rousseau, a renowned French philosopher and politician, further stated: “A king, far from nourishing his subjects draws his nourishment from them; and kings need more than a little nourishment”.

The public person formed by the union of all other persons was once called the city*, and is now known as the republic or body politic. In its passive role it is called the state, when it plays an active role it is called the sovereign; and when it is compared with others it is called a power. Those who are associated in it take collectively the name of a people and call themselves individually citizens, in that they share in the sovereign power, and subjects, in that they put themselves under the rule of law. However, these words are often confused, each being taken for another; but the essence is to recognize them when they are used in their precise sense.

* Houses make up a town but citizens make up a city.

Rousseau c1770 – a heedless philosopher but never lived to see the French Revolution