Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseauwas a Francophone Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century. His political philosophy influenced the Enlightenment in France and across Europe, as well as aspects of the French Revolution and the overall development of modern political and educational thought...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionPhilosopher
Date of Birth28 June 1712
CityGeneva, Switzerland
CountryFrance
Jean-Jacques Rousseau quotes about
world-suffering too-much this-world
I have suffered too much in this world not to hope for another.
order supreme visible
The visible order of the universe proclaims a supreme intelligence.
night islands lakes
As evening approached, I came down from the heights of the island, and I liked then to go and sit on the shingle in some secluded spot by the lake; there the noise of the waves and the movement of the water, taking hold of my senses and driving all other agitation from my soul, would plunge me into delicious reverie in which night often stole upon me unawares.
nature character men
Everything made by man may be destroyed by man; there are no ineffaceable characters except those engraved by nature; and nature makes neither princes nor rich men nor great lords.
dungeons enough desirable
There is peace in dungeons, but is that enough to make dungeons desirable?
evil good-and-evil doing-good
By doing good we become good.
science technology age
It is a mania shared by philosophers of all ages to deny what exists and to explain what does not exist.
reading men people
Reading, solitude, idleness, a soft and sedentary life, intercourse with women and young people, these are perilous paths for a young man, and these lead him constantly into danger.
secret likes firsts
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.
finance slave
Finance is a slave's word.
kings born social-contract
A born king is a very rare being.
honesty eye atheism
All kinds of frankness and honesty are terrible crimes in the eyes of society.
simple expression soul
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.
progress periods retrograde
There is a period of life when we go back as we advance. [Fr., Il est un terme de la vie au-dela duquel en retrograde en avancant.]