Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes - Page 10

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For, as I think I have said, I can only meditate when I am walking. When I stop I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Journey, Thinking, Hiking

"The Confessions".

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Too much apparatus, designed to guide us in experiments and to supplement the exactness of our senses, makes us neglect to use those senses...The more ingenious our apparatus, the coarser and more unskillful are our senses. We surround ourselves with tools and fail to use those which nature has provided every one of us.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Technology, Tools, Use

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Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I feel to be evil is evil. Conscience is the best of casuists.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Heart, Evil, Be Good

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But I am mistaken in speaking of a Christian republic; the terms are mutually exclusive. Christianity preaches only servitude and dependence. Its spirit is so favorable to tyranny that it always profits by such a regime. True Christians are made to be slaves, and they know it and do not much mind; this short life counts for too little in their eyes.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Christian, Short Life, Eye

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, G. D. H. Cole (2003). “On the Social Contract”, p.95, Courier Corporation

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The problem is to find a form of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Government, Uniting, May

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2012). “On the Social Contract”, p.19, Courier Corporation

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Every man has the right to risk his own life in order to preserve it. Has it ever been said that a man who throws himself out the window to escape from a fire is guilty of suicide?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Suicide, Men, Fire

Jean Jacques Rousseau (2015). “The Social Contract”, p.142, Jean Jacques Rousseau

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In truth, laws are always useful to those with possessions and harmful to those who have nothing; from which it follows that the social state is advantageous to men only when all possess something and none has too much.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Men, Law, Too Much

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Usurpers always bring about or select troublous times to get passed, under cover of the public terror, destructive laws, which the people would never adopt in cold blood. The moment chosen is one of the surest means of distinguishing the work of the legislator from that of the tyrant.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Mean, Tyrants, Blood

Jean Jacques Rousseau (2015). “The Social Contract”, p.173, Jean Jacques Rousseau

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Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given to us by education.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Needs, Birth, Given

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1979). “Emile: Or, On Education”, p.38, Basic Books

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Force does not constitute right... obedience is due only to legitimate powers.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosophical, Doe, Obedience

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Our passions are the chief means of self-preservation; to try to destroy them is therefore as absurd as it is useless; this would be to overcome nature, to reshape God's handiwork. If God bade man annihilate the passions he has given him, God would bid him be and not be; He would contradict himself. He has never given such a foolish commandment, there is nothing like it written on the heart of man, and what God will have a man do, He does not leave to the words of another man. He speaks Himself; His words are written in the secret heart.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Mean, Passion, Heart

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2009). “Emile: Or, On Education”, p.384, The Floating Press

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The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Strength, Strong, Enough

Du Contrat Social bk. 1, ch. 3 (1762)

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Equality, because without it there can be no liberty.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Liberty

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I loved too sincerely, too completely, I venture to say, to be able to be happy easily.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Venture, Able, Sincerely

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1996). “The Confessions”, p.73, Wordsworth Editions

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Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Listening, Immigration, Earth

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2005). “On the Origin of Inequality”, p.62, Cosimo, Inc.

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If there were a people consisting of gods, they would be governed democratically. So perfect a government is not suitable to men.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Men, People, Perfect

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Whoever refuses to obey the general will will be forced to do so by the entire body; this means merely that he will be forced to be free.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Mean, Body, Refuse

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2010). “The Basic Political Writings (Second Edition)”, p.167, Hackett Publishing

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Two things, almost incompatible, are united in me in a manner which I am unable to understand: a very ardent temperament, lively and tumultuous passions, and, at the same time, slowly developed and confused ideas, which never present themselves until it is too late. One might say that my heart and my mind do not belong to the same person.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Confused, Passion, Heart

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (2015). “Confessions”, p.176, Everyman's Library

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It is believed that physiognomy is only a simple development of the features already marked out by nature. It is my opinion, however, that in addition to this development, the features come insensibly to be formed and assume their shape from the frequent and habitual expression of certain affections of the soul. These affections are marked on the countenance; nothing is more certain than this; and when they turn into habits, they must leave on it durable impressions.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Simple, Expression, Soul

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What good would it be to possess the whole universe if one were its only survivor?

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Survivor, Whole, Ifs

"A Lasting Peace Through the Federation of Europe". Book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1756.

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Fame is but the breath of people, and that often unwholesome.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Philosophy, Philosophical, People

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I undertake the same project as Montaigne, but with an aim contrary to his own: for he wrote his Essays only for others, and I write my reveries only for myself.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Writing, Projects, Aim

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In any case, frequent punishments are a sign of weakness or slackness in the government. There is no man so bad that he cannot be made good for something. No man should be put to death, even as an example, if he can be left to live without danger to society.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Men, Weakness, Example

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Presence of mind, penetration, fine observation, are the sciences of women; ability to avail themselves of these is their talent.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Opportunity, Presence Of Mind, Talent

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It is well known that a loose and easy dress contributes much to give to both sexes those fine proportions of body that are observable in the Grecian statues, and which serve as models to our present artists.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Sex, Artist, Giving

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Born: June 28, 1712
Died: July 2, 1778
Occupation: Philosopher
Cite this Page: Citation

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