La naturaleza, teniendo en cuenta la necesidad de la conservación, ha creado a unos seres para mandar y a otros para obedecer. Ha querido que el ser dotado de razón y previsión mande como dueño, del mismo modo que el ser capaz por sus facultades corporales de ejecutar las órdenes, obedezca como esclavo, y de esta suerte el interés del señor y del esclavo se confunden.
For that which can foresee by the exercise of mind is by nature intended to be lord and master, and that which can with its body give effect to such foresight is a subject, and by nature a slave; hence master and slave have the same interest.
The first coupling together of persons then to which necessity gives rise is that between those who are unable to exist without one another: for instance the union of female and male for the continuance of the species (and this not of deliberate purpose, but with man as with the other animals and with plants there is a natural instinct to desire to leave behind one another being of the same sort as oneself); and the union of natural ruler and natural subject for the sake of security (for he that can foresee with his mind is naturally ruler and naturally master, and he that can do these things with his body is subject and naturally a slave; so that master and slave have the same interest).
