In what， indeed， does the common weal (l'intérêt de tous， the interest of everyone) consist？ - In the interest of each person， while that which interests each person is the things of which the possession is agreeable and deprivation painful. The whole world would in vain gainsay this point； every sensation is personal. My suffering and my enjoyments are not to be contested any more than my inclination for objects which procure me the one， and my dislike of objects which procure me the other. There is， therefore， no arbitrary definition of each one's particular interest； this exists as a fact independently of the legislator； all that remains is to show what this interest is， and what each individual prefers. Preferences vary according to race， time， place and circumstance. Among the possessions which are ever desirable and the privation of which is ever dreaded， there is one， however， which， directly desired， and for itself， becomes， through the progress of civilization， more and more cherished， and of which the privation becomes， through the progress of civilization， more and more grievous. That is the disposition of one's self， the full ownership of one's body and property， the faculty of thinking， believing and worshipping as one pleases， of associating with others， of acting separately or along with others， in all senses and without hindrance；in short， one's liberty. That this liberty may as extensive as possible is， in all times， one of man's great needs， and， in our days， it is his greatest need. There are two reasons for this， one natural and the other historical. -By nature Man is an individual， that is to say a small distinct world in himself， a center apart in an enclosed circle， a detached organism complete in itself and which suffers when his spontaneous inclinations are frustrated by the intervention of an outside force.
The passage of time has made him a complicated organism， upon which three or four religions， five or six civilizations， thirty centuries of rich culture have left their imprint； in which its acquisitions are combined together， wherein inherited qualities are crossbred， wherein special traits have accumulated in such a way as to produce the most original and the most sensitive of beings. As civilization increases， so does his complexity： with the result that man's originality strengthens and his sensitivity become keener； from which it follows that the more civilized he becomes， the greater his repugnance to constraint and uniformity.
At the present day， (1880)， each of us is the terminal and peculiar product of a vast elaboration of which the diverse stages occur in this order but once， a plant unique of its species， a solitary individual of superior and finer essence which， with its own inward structure and its own inalienable type， can bear no other than its own characteristic fruit. Nothing could be more adverse to the interest of the oak than to be tortured into bearing the apples of the apple tree； nothing could be more adverse to the interests of the apple tree than to be tortured into bearing acorns； nothing could be more opposed to the interests of both oak and apple tree， also of other trees， than to be pruned， shaped and twisted so as all to grow after a forced model， delineated on paper according to the rigid and limited imagination of a surveyor. The least possible constraint is， therefore， everybody's chief interest； if one particular restrictive agency is established， it is that every one may be preserved by if from other more powerful constraints， especially those which the foreigner and evil-doer would impose. Up to that point， and not further， its intervention is beneficial； beyond that point， it becomes one of the evils it is intended to forestall. Such then， if the common weal is to be looked after， the sole office of the State is，1. to prevent constraint and， therefore， never to use it except to prevent worse constraints；2. to secure respect for each individual in his own physical and moral domain； never to encroach on this except for that purpose and then to withdraw immediately；3. to abstain from all indiscreet meddling， and yet more， as far as is practicable， without any sacrifice of public security；4. to reduce old assessments， to exact only a minimum of subsidies and services；5. to gradually limit even useful action；6. to set itself as few tasks as possible；7. to let each one have all the room possible and the maximum of initiative；8. to slowly abandon monopolies；9. to refrain from competition with private parties；10. to rid itself of functions which these private parties can fulfill equally well -and we see that the limits assigned to the State by the public interest (l'intérêt commun) correspond to those stipulated by duty and justice.
VI.
Indirect common interest. - This consists in the most economical and most productive employment of spontaneous forces. - Difference between voluntary labor and forced labor. - Sources of man's spontaneous action. Conditions of their energy， work and products. -Motives for leaving them under personal control. - Extent of the private domain. - Individuals might voluntarily extend it. - What is left becomes the domain of the State. - Obligatory functions of the State. - Optional functions of the State.
