Civic ethics asks the question: “What are the duties that the individuals who form a nation owe to one another?” It assumes the existence of societies of people united by special bonds.

On what foundation does society rest? Some philosophers believe that society is unnatural, that the normal condition of human beings is one of solitude and isolation, and that it's only by artificial means that we emerge from this state. According to Hobbes, societies are formed because of the threat of violence. For Bossuet, divine revelation causes us to leave the state of savagery. And according to Rousseau, society is formed when we agree to place our common fate in the hands of the most intelligent among us. For all of these philosophers, therefore, society is a more or less artificial condition. Had we listened only to the voice of nature, we'd have remained isolated.

But the facts suggest otherwise. Altruistic sentiments are as natural as their egoistic counterparts, so that the voice of nature – so frequently mentioned by Rousseau – actually moves us toward association. We have an almost irresistible need to seek out the company of our fellow man. Solitude has few charms for us and is often quite disagreeable.

Isn't it natural for parents and children to become attached to one another? Far from tending toward isolation, we are, as Plato said, πολιτικòντòζῷον – social animals. Indeed, society is so far from being artificial that isolation can be considered a mere abstraction.