Any institution which does not suppose the people good, and the magistrate corruptible, is evil.

Food that is necessary for man’s existence is as sacred as life itself. Everything that is indispensable for its preservation is the common property of society as a whole. It is only the surplus that is private property and can be safely left to individual commercial enterprise.

The most extravagant idea that can be born in the head of a political thinker is to believe that it suffices for people to enter, weapons in hand, among a foreign people and expect to have its laws and constitution embraced. No one loves armed missionaries; the first lesson of nature and prudence is to repulse them as enemies.

Crime butchers innocence to secure a throne, and innocence struggles with all its might against the attempts of crime.

The general will rules in society as the private will governs each separate individual.

Terror is nothing else than justice, prompt, severe, inflexible.

Again, it may be said, that to love justice and equality the people need no great effort of virtue; it is sufficient that they love themselves.