Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes

As for the Soothsayer, although I am certain no one feels the true beauties of that work better than I, I am far from finding these beauties in the same places as the infatuated public does. They are not the products of study and knowledge, but rather are inspired by taste and sensitivity.

Since nothing is less stable among men than those external relationships which chance brings about more often than wisdom, and which are called weakness or power, wealth or poverty, human establishments appear at first glance to be based on piles of shifting sand.

Das einzige Mittel, den Irrtum zu vermeiden, ist die Unwissenheit.

Todo hombre nacido en la esclavitud, nace para la esclavitud; nada

Since everything that comes into the human mind enters through the gates of sense, man's first reason is a reason of sense-experience. It is this that serves as a foundation for the reason of the intelligence; our first teachers in natural philosophy are our feet, hands, and eyes. To substitute books for them does not teach us to reason, it teaches us to use the reason of others rather than our own; it teaches us to believe much and know little.

Astronomy was born of superstition, eloquence of ambition, hatred, falsehood and flattery; geometry of avarice; physics of an idle curiosity; and even moral philosophy of human pride. Thus the arts and sciences owe their birth to our vices

In any case, there can be no doubt that Adam was sovereign of the world, as Robinson Crusoe was of his island, as long as he was its only inhabitant; and this empire had the advantage that the monarch, safe on his throne, had no rebellions, wars, or conspirators to fear.

Bu kadar acımasızca bir zorlamanın onların huyu, karakteri üstünde etki yapmaması mümkün müdür? İlk duyguları acı ve üzüntüdür: Gereksinim duydukları tüm hareketlerde yalnızca engellerle karşılaşırlar. Zincire vurulmuş bir caniden daha mutsuz olarak, boşuna çabalar, öfkelenir, bağırırlar. İlk çıkardıkları ses ağlama demez misiniz? Pekâlâ böyle olduğunu sanıyorum:
Doğar doğmaz canlarını sıkıyorsunuz; sizden aldıkları ilk armağan zincirler oluyor. Sizden gördükleri ilk davranış verdiğiniz acılardır. Sesten başka özgür bir şeyleri olmadığına göre, yakınmak için nasıl bunu kullanmasınlar ki? Onlara yaptığınız kötülük yüzünden bağırıyorlar: Böyle eli kolu bağlı durumda olsaydınız, siz onlardan daha çok bağırırdınız.

Es singular que nunca se remonte más agradablemente mi imaginación como cuando me hallo en un estado menos agradable; y, al contrario, cuando todo ríe en derredor mío, entonces es menos risueña mi fantasía. Mi mala cabeza no puede sujetarse a la realidad. No puede embellecer, necesita crear.

"Gustavo Solivellas dice: "La paciencia es amarga, pero su fruto es dulce" (Jean-Jacques Rousseau)"

I know the feelings of my heart, and I know men. I am not made like any of those I have seen; I venture to believe that I am not made like any of those who are in existence. If I am not better, at least I am different. Whether Nature has acted rightly or wrongly in destroying the mould in which she cast me, can only be decided after I have been read.

With the poet, it is gold and silver, but with the philosopher it is iron and corn, which have civilized men, and ruined mankind.

gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid but which none have a right to expect

I warn the reader that this chapter requires careful reading, and that I am unable to make myself clear to those who refuse to be attentive.

Leben heißt nicht atmen, sondern handeln; es heißt, sich unserer Organe, unserer Sinne, unserer Fähigkeiten, sich also aller derjenigen Teile von uns zu bedienen, die uns die Empfindung unseres Daseins verleihen. Nicht derjenige Mensch hat am meisten gelebt, der die meisten Lebensjahre gezählt hat, sondern der, welcher sein Leben am meisten empfunden hat.