Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes
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The infant, on opening his eyes, ought to see his country, and to the hour of his death never lose sight of it.
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Gracefulness cannot subsist without ease; delicacy is not debility; nor must a woman be sick in order to please. Infirmity, and sickness may excite our pity, but desire and pleasure require the bloom and vigor of health.
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Laws are always useful to those who possess and vexatious to those who have nothing.
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That man is truly free who desires what he is able to perform, and does what he desires.
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Self-love is an instrument useful but dangerous; it often wounds the hand which makes use of it, and seldom does good without doing harm.
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There is no subjection so perfect as that which keeps the appearance of freedom.
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Singing and dancing alone will not advance one in the world. [Fr., Qui bien chante et bien danse fait un metier qui peu avance.]
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The only moral lesson which is suited for a child--the most important lesson for every time of life--is this: 'Never hurt anybody.
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Posterity is always just.
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The world is the book of women. Whatever knowledge they may possess is more commonly acquired by observation than by reading.
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Yes, if the life and death of Socrates are those of a wise man, the life and death of Jesus are those of a god.
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Women, in general, are not attracted to art at all, nor knowledge, and not at all to genius.
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When my reason is afloat, my faith cannot long remain in suspense, and I believe in God as firmly as in any other truth whatever; in short, a thousand motives draw me to the consolatory side, and add the weight of hope to the equilibrium of reason.
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Jewish authors would never have invented either that style nor that morality; and the Gospel has marks of truth so great, so striking, so utterly inimitable, that the invention of it would be more astonishing than the hero.
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Living is not breathing but doing.
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The first step towards vice is to shroud innocent actions in mystery, and whoever likes to conceal something sooner or later has reason to conceal it.
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One must choose between making a man or a citizen, for one cannot make both at the same time.
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There is no evildoer who could not be made good for something.
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With children use force; with men reason; such is the natural order of things. The wise man requires no law.
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Not all the subtilties of metaphysics can make me doubt a moment of the immortality of the soul, and of a beneficent Providence. I feel it, I believe it, I desire it, I hope it, and will defend it to my last breath.
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Sovereigns always see with pleasure a taste for the arts of amusement and superfluity, which do not result in the exportation of bullion, increase among their subjects. They very well know that, besides nourishing that littleness of mind which is proper to slavery, the increase of artificial wants only binds so many more chains upon the people.
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He who blushes is already guilty.
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Abstaining so as really to enjoy, is the epicurism, the very perfection, of reason.
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At length I recollected the thoughtless saying of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, "Let them eat cake".