--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rousseau.—Although this politician, the…" description: "\"“Rousseau.—Although this politician, the paramount authority of the Democrats, makes the social edifice rest upon the general will, no one has so compl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_democracy_rousseau-although-this-politician-the-pa_1621242.png" --- # Rousseau.—Although this politician, the paramount… ![“Rousseau.—Although this politician, the paramount authority of the Democrats, makes the social edifice rest upon the general will, no one has so completely admitted the hypothesis of the entire passiveness of human nature in the presence of the lawgiver:— "If” quote by Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_democracy_rousseau-although-this-politician-the-pa_1621242.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_democracy_rousseau-although-this-politician-the-pa_1621242.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d2/frederic-bastiat-2151_democracy_rousseau-although-this-politician-the-pa_1621242.png) > ““Rousseau.—Although this politician, the paramount authority of the Democrats, makes the social edifice rest upon the general will, no one has so completely admitted the hypothesis of the entire passiveness of human nature in the presence of the lawgiver:— "If”” [Frédéric Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the idea that people are wholly passive under law, insisting that human nature retains agency despite authority. **In simple terms:** People aren't completely passive under law. Key Takeaway Recognize personal agency despite authority. Themes politics human nature authority Mood critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legal theory - citizen engagement - policy analysis Key Concepts social contract passivity will Questions to Reflect On - How does authority affect personal agency? - Can law ever be truly neutral? A Different Perspective Assumes a uniform passivity that may not hold universally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Human nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-nature/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“according to Montesquieu, the persons, the liberties, the property, mankind itself, are nothing but materials to exercise the sagacity of lawgivers." 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