Decrees Quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
““Finally, when the State close to ruin subsists only on an illusory and vain form, when the social bond is broken in all hearts, when the barest interest brazenly assumes the sacred name of public good; then the general will grows mute, everyone, prompted by secret motives, no more states opinions as a Citizen than if the State had never existed, and iniquitous decrees with no other goal than particular interest are falsely passed under the name of Laws.””
About This Quote
Source Treatise: The Social Contract, 1762, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
When the state becomes a façade and law serves narrow interests, citizens lose voice and the public good becomes a myth.
In simple terms: Corrupt state silences citizens and misuses law.
Key Takeaway
Demand transparent, accountable governance.
Themes
politics
citizenship
law
corruption
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- voting
- community organizing
- legal reform
- public debate
Key Concepts
social contract
public good
illusion of legitimacy
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms truly empower citizens?
- How can we detect hidden motives in law?
A Different Perspective
Power can still be consolidated despite reforms.
![“Who is a good man? He who keeps the decrees of the fathers, and both human and divine laws. [Lat., Vir bonus est quis? Qui consulta patrum, qui leges juraque servat.]” quote by Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/578/horace-172_bonus_who-is-a-good-man-he-who-keeps-the-decre_887036.jpg)
