Man’s first law is to watch over his own preservation; his first care he owes to himself; and as soon as he reaches the age of reason, he becomes the only judge of the best means to preserve himself; he becomes his own master.
JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAUEverything is good as it comes from the hands of the Maker of the world, but degenerates once it gets into the hands of man
More Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes
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From this it follows that, the larger the State, the less the liberty.
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It is a great evil for a Chief of a nation to be born the enemy of the freedom whose defender he should be.
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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.
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All my misfortunes come of having thought too well of my fellows.
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If there were a nation of Gods, it would govern itself democratically. A government so perfect is not suited to men.
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I hate books; they only teach us to talk about things we know nothing about.
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Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.
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The first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, bethought himself of saying ‘this is mine’, and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society.
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There is no evildoer who could not be made good for something.
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Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains. Those who think themselves the masters of others are indeed greater slaves than they.
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Or, rather, let us be more simple and less vain.
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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.
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Nature made me happy and good, and if I am otherwise, it is society’s fault.
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To live is not merely to breathe; it is to act; it is to make use of our organs, senses, faculties – of all those parts of ourselves which give us the feeling of existence.
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To renounce liberty is to renounce being a man, to surrender the rights of humanity and even its duties.
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