black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

To do is to be.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

If we assume man has been corrupted by an artificial civilization, what is the natural state? the state of nature from which he has been removed? imagine, wandering up and down the forest without industry, without speech, and without home.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Civilization Deep Home Imagination Man Nature Philosophy
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

Law Man Material Truth
Every person has a right to risk their own life for the preservation of it.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Life Person Right Risk
I hate books; they only teach us to talk about things we know nothing about.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Book Hate Myself Teaching
What, then, is the government? An intermediary body established between the subjects and the sovereign for their mutual communication, a body charged with the execution of the laws and the maintenance of freedom, both civil and political.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Body Freedom Government Law Politics
Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains. Those who think themselves the masters of others are indeed greater slaves than they.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Born Freedom Greatness Man Philosophy Thinking
The imagination which causes so many ravages among us, never speaks to the heart of savages.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Heart Imagination Savage Talk
The social pact, far from destroying natural equality, substitutes, on the contrary, a moral and lawful equality for whatever physical inequality that nature may have imposed on mankind; so that however unequal in strength and intelligence, men become equal by covenant and by right.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Destroy Equality Intelligence Law Man Nature Strength
In any real democracy, magistracy isn’t a benefit—it’s a burdensome responsibility that can’t fairly be imposed on one individual rather than another.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Democracy Reality Responsibility
It is too difficult to think nobly when one thinks only of earning a living.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Difficult Live Oneself Survive Thinking
I have never thought, for my part, that man’s freedom consists in his being able to do whatever he wills, but that he should not, by any human power, be forced to do what is against his will.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Force Freedom Himself Human Man Myself Power Thinking Willing
If there were a nation of Gods, it would govern itself democratically. A government so perfect is not suited to men.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Democracy God Government Nation Perfection
But in some great souls, who consider themselves as citizens of the world, and forcing the imaginary barriers that separate people from people.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Citizen Force Greatness Imagination People Philosophy Soul World
To do is to be.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Action One Liner
The people of England regards itself as free; but it is grossly mistaken; it is free only during the election of members of parliament. As soon as they are elected, slavery overtakes it, and it is nothing.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Freedom Mistake People Regard Slave
Nature never deceives us; it is always we who deceive ourselves.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Nature Ourselves Perspective

To do is to be.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

To do is to be.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes