# V: That We Must Always Go Back to a First Convention explained — The Social Contract > Chapter companion for The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. ## What happens Rousseau argues that even if the arguments for despotism were granted, the distinction between a master ruling slaves and a legitimate society remains. A people must first constitute itself as a people through a prior convention, which is the true foundation of society. Majority voting itself presupposes an initial unanimous agreement. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Social Contract Rousseau emphasizes that a people must first become a people through a prior convention, which is the foundation of the social contract. ### Critique of Despotism and Slavery Rousseau distinguishes between a master-slave relationship and a legitimate political society, rejecting the notion of a people giving itself to a king. ### Sovereignty and Government The chapter discusses the act by which a people becomes a people, prior to any act of government or submission to a ruler. ## Character check-ins ### Jean-Jacques Rousseau Author and narrator, refuting despotism and arguing for the necessity of a first convention. ### Hugo Grotius Cited as claiming a people can give itself to a king, which Rousseau critiques. ## Key lines > Even if I granted all that I have been refuting, the friends of despotism would be no better off. Even if I conceded all the points I have been arguing against, the advocates of absolute rule would still not have a valid case. _Rousseau sets up his argument that despotism lacks a legitimate foundation regardless of prior concessions._ > A people, says Grotius, can give itself to a king. Then, according to Grotius, a people is a people before it gives itself. Grotius claims that a people can surrender itself to a king, but this implies that the people already exist as a political entity before making that gift. _Rousseau highlights the logical priority of the people's self-constitution over any act of submission._ > The law of majority voting is itself something established by convention, and presupposes unanimity, on one occasion at least. The principle of majority rule is itself a product of agreement, and it requires at least one initial unanimous decision to be established. _Rousseau argues that the very mechanism of majority voting depends on a prior unanimous convention._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_social_contract_se/chapters/v-that-we-must-always-go-back-to-a-first-convention - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_social_contract_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_social_contract_se/chapters