XVIII.17 On political laws among peoples who have not the use of money
What most assures the liberty of peoples who do not till the land is that they know nothing of money. The yield of the hunt, of fishing or of livestock cannot be gathered in sufficient quantity, nor kept long enough, for a man to be in a position to corrupt everybody else ; whereas when there are signs of wealth a person can accumulate those signs and distribute them to whomever he wishes.
Among peoples who have no money, each person has few needs, and satisfies them readily and equally. Equality is thus mandatory, and their chiefs are not despotic.