Quotes from Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Aprovechemos el contento de espíritu cuando acude. Guardémonos de alejarlo por nuestra culpa, pero no hagamos proyectos para encadenarlo, pues que tales proyectos son puras locuras.

La loi de la pluralité des suffrages est elle-même un établissement de convention, et suppose au moins une fois l'unanimité.

To exist is to feel; our feeling is undoubtedly earlier than our intelligence, and we had feelings before we had ideas.

There is not a single ill-doer who could not be turned to some good. The State has no right to put to death, even for the sake of making an example, any one whom it can leave alive without danger.

This is how in every condition the guilty strong person saves himself at the expense of the innocent weak one...

Self-love, which concerns itself only with ourselves, is content to satisfy our own needs; but selfishness, which is always comparing self with others, is never satisfied and never can be; for this feeling, which prefers ourselves to others, requires that they should prefer us to themselves, which is impossible.

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

Force is a physical power; I do not see how its effects could produce morality. To yield to force is an act of necessity, not of will; it is at best an act of prudence. In what sense can it be a moral duty?

My lack of success with women has always come from loving them too much

she was Italian, that is to say sensitive and vindictive...

Protestants are generally better educated than Catholics. This ought to be so: the do?trine of the former requires discussion, that of the latter submission. The Catholic ought to adopt the decision he is given, the Protestant ought to learn to decide for himself.

You must give your own time, attention, affection, your very self; for whatever you do, people always perceive that your money is not you.

Liberado de todas las pasiones terrenas que engendra el tumulto de la vida social, mi alma se elevaría frecuentemente por encima de esta atmósfera, y comerciaría por anticipado con las inteligencias celestes cuyo número espera ir a aumentar dentro de poco.

Reconcile those who are at strife, prevent lawsuits; incline children to duty, fathers to kindness; promote happy marriages; prevent annoyances; freely use the credit of your pupil's parents on behalf of the weak who cannot obtain justice, the weak who are oppressed by the strong. Be just, human, kindly. Do

The sophism that ruined me is the one made by the majority of men, who complain about lacking strength when it is already too late to make use of it. [...] Virtue costs us only through our own fault, and if we always wanted to be wise, we would rarely need to be virtuous. But inclinations that would be easy to overcome sweep us away without resistance: we give way to slight temptations whose danger we scorn

Respetad a la infancia y no os deis prisa en juzgarla ni para el bien ni para el mal. Dejad

It should not be thought, moreover, that this manner of thinking is peculiar to Catholics; it is that of every dogmatic religion in which belief is made into the essential thing rather than deeds.

Flattery, or rather condescension, is not always a vice, it is more often a virtue, especially in young people. The kindness with which a man treats us attaches us to him; one does not give way to him in order to deceive him, one does so in order not to make him sad, not to return him harm for good.

Me preguntó si había copiado música alguna vez. Respondíle que a menudo, y era la verdad: el mejor modo como podía aprenderla era copiándola.

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.

Rien de vigoureux, rien de grand ne peut partir d'une plume toute vénale.

As a result of quarrels, blows, furtive and poorly chosen readings, my disposition became taciturn, wild, my head began to be spoiled, and I lived like a true werewolf.

Si algún progreso he hecho en el conocimiento del corazón humano, fue el placer que tenía en ver y observar a los niños lo que me valió tal conocimiento.

Objektif bak?mdan, ezilenlerin teselli olarak bir Tanr?'ya inanmalar?, halk y???nlar?n? mücadeleden uzaklaÅŸt?rmaktan baÅŸka bir sonuç vermez.