French philosopher Quote by Jared Diamond
““The French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau speculated that states are formed by a social contract, a rational decision reached when people calculated their self-interest, came to the agreement that they would be better off in a state than in simpler societies, and voluntarily did away with their simpler societies. But””
About This Quote
Source Book: The World Until Yesterday, Jared Diamond, 2012
He notes that Rousseau’s social contract theory suggests people rationally choose to leave simpler societies for more complex ones, but the quote is incomplete.
In simple terms: Rousseau argued people trade simplicity for state benefits.
Key Takeaway
Consider the trade‑offs of societal complexity.
Themes
political philosophy
social contract
human nature
civilization
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
historical
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- civic education
- community planning
- historical comparison
- public debates
Key Concepts
rational choice theory
anthropology
political theory
Questions to Reflect On
- What are the costs of abandoning simpler social structures?
- How do modern states address the promises of the social contract?
A Different Perspective
The quote truncates the argument, missing nuance about power dynamics and inequality.
![“[John Adams] experience with the French philosophers only convinced him further of the need for a bicameral legislature representing the two principal social orders and, equally important, an independent executive.” quote by Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e8f/gordon-s-wood-13199_convinced_john-adams-experience-with-the-french-ph_1365435.jpg)
![“[John] Adams said his objective in writing his Defence of the Constitutions of the United States and his Davila essays was to counter what he thought was the unfair criticism of the American state constitutions made by the French philosophers, especially [Anne Robert Jacques] Turgot.” quote by Gordon S. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0f7/gordon-s-wood-13199_constitution_john-adams-said-his-objective-in-writing_1758037.jpg)
