It interests not particular individuals, but nations in its progress, and promises a new era to the human race.
The danger to which the success of revolutions is most exposed is that of attempting them before the principles on which they proceed, and the advantages to result from them, are sufficiently seen and understood.
Almost everything appertaining to the circumstances of a nation, has been absorbed and confounded under the general and mysterious word government.

Though it avoids taking to its account the errors it commits, and the mischiefs it occasions, it fails not to arrogate to itself whatever has the appearance of prosperity.

It robs industry of its honours, by pedantically making itself the cause of its effects; and purloins from the general character of man, the merits that appertain to him as a social being.
It may therefore be of use in this day of revolutions to discriminate between those things which are the effect of government, and those which are not.

This will best be done by taking a review of society and civilisation, and the consequences resulting therefrom, as things distinct from what are called governments.

By beginning with this investigation, we shall be able to assign effects to their proper causes and analyse the mass of common errors..