Patience patience quotes is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
The English people believes itself to be free; it is gravely mistaken; it is free only during election of members of parliament; as soon as the members are elected, the people is enslaved; it is nothing. In the brief moment of its freedom, the English people makes such a use of that freedom that it deserves to lose it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote criticizes the illusion of freedom in democracy, suggesting true freedom is lost after elections.
Rousseau argues that while the English people may perceive themselves as free during elections, this belief is misguided. Once elected representatives take office, the populace becomes subservient to the will of those in power. He further asserts that the way the people exercise their brief democratic freedom contributes to their continued oppression, implying that they are not making wise choices that would preserve their liberty.
Themes
FreedomDemocracyElectionsPowerOppressionIllusion
In practice
Example use cases
Discussing the state of modern democracy in a political debate.
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Those people who treat politics and morality separately will never understand either of them.
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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.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
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