VI ADMINISTRATIVE NIHILISM 27.1 



.Hid not to kill, flog, or otherwise maltreat you, 

 OcfQuashie, if you perform a certain amount of work." 

 "'Quashie, seeing no better terms to be had, accepts 

 the bargain, and goes to work accordingly. A 

 highwayman who garrotes me, and then clears out 

 my pockets, robs me by force in the strict sense of 

 the words ; but if he puts a pistol to my head and 

 demands my money or my life, and I, preferring 

 the latter, hand over my purse, we have virtually 

 made a contract, and I perform one of the terms 

 of that contract. If, nevertheless, the highway- 

 man subsequently shoots me, everybody will 

 see that, in addition to the crimes of murder 

 and theft, he has been guilty of a breach of 

 contract. 



A despotic Government, therefore, though often 

 a mere combination of slaveholding and highway 

 robbery, nevertheless implies a contract between 

 governor and governed, with voluntary submission 

 on the part of the latter ; and d fortiori, all other 

 forms of government are in like case. 



/Now a contract between any two men implies 

 restriction of the freedom of each in certain 

 particulars. The highwayman gives up his free- 

 dom to shoot me, on condition of my giving up 

 my freedom to do as I like with my money : I 

 give up my freedom to kill Quashie, on condition 

 of Quashie's giving up his freedom to be idle. 

 And the essence and foundation of every social 

 organisation, whether simple or complex, is the 

 VOL. I T 



