BookXI。OftheLawsWhichEstablishPoliticalLiberty，withRegardtotheConstitution1。AgeneralIdea。Imakeadistinctionbetweenthelawsthatestablishpoliticalliberty，asitrelatestotheconstitution，andthosebywhichitisestablished，asitrelatestothecitizen。Theformershallbethesubjectofthisbook；thelatterIshallexamineinthenext。
2。DifferentSignificationsofthewordLiberty。Thereisnowordthatadmitsofmorevarioussignifications，andhasmademorevariedimpressionsonthehumanmind，thanthatofliberty。Somehavetakenitasameansofdeposingapersononwhomtheyhadconferredatyrannicalauthority；othersforthepowerofchoosingasuperiorwhomtheyareobligedtoobey；othersfortherightofbearingarms，andofbeingtherebyenabledtouseviolence；others，infine，fortheprivilegeofbeinggovernedbyanativeoftheirowncountry，orbytheirownlaws。[1]Acertainnationforalongtimethoughtlibertyconsistedintheprivilegeofwearingalongbeard。[2]Somehaveannexedthisnametooneformofgovernmentexclusiveofothers：thosewhohadarepublicantasteappliedittothisspeciesofpolity；thosewholikedamonarchicalstategaveittomonarchy。[3]Thustheyhaveallappliedthenameoflibertytothegovernmentmostsuitabletotheirowncustomsandinclinations：andasinrepublicsthepeoplehavenotsoconstantandsopresentaviewofthecausesoftheirmisery，andasthemagistratesseemtoactonlyinconformitytothelaws，hencelibertyisgenerallysaidtoresideinrepublics，andtobebanishedfrommonarchies。Infine，asindemocraciesthepeopleseemtoactalmostastheyplease，thissortofgovernmenthasbeendeemedthemostfree，andthepowerofthepeoplehasbeenconfoundedwiththeirliberty。
3。InwhatLibertyconsists。Itistruethatindemocraciesthepeopleseemtoactastheyplease；butpoliticallibertydoesnotconsistinanunlimitedfreedom。Ingovernments，thatis，insocietiesdirectedbylaws，libertycanconsistonlyinthepowerofdoingwhatweoughttowill，andinnotbeingconstrainedtodowhatweoughtnottowill。
Wemusthavecontinuallypresenttoourmindsthedifferencebetweenindependenceandliberty。Libertyisarightofdoingwhateverthelawspermit，andifacitizencoulddowhattheyforbidhewouldbenolongerpossessedofliberty，becauseallhisfellow—citizenswouldhavethesamepower。
4。ThesameSubjectcontinued。Democraticandaristocraticstatesarenotintheirownnaturefree。Politicallibertyistobefoundonlyinmoderategovernments；andevenintheseitisnotalwaysfound。Itisthereonlywhenthereisnoabuseofpower。Butconstantexperienceshowsusthateverymaninvestedwithpowerisapttoabuseit，andtocarryhisauthorityasfarasitwillgo。Isitnotstrange，thoughtrue，tosaythatvirtueitselfhasneedoflimits？