Patience patience quotes is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
Force does not constitute right... obedience is due only to legitimate powers.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote asserts that authority is valid only when it is just and legitimate, rather than based on force or coercion.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau emphasizes the distinction between power obtained through force and that derived from legitimacy. He argues that true authority should garner obedience not through fear or coercion, but rather through a moral foundation that respects the rights and freedoms of individuals. This thought encourages individuals to critically evaluate the legitimacy of those in power and to question the nature of their obedience.
Themes
AuthorityLegitimacyObediencePowerForce
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on political philosophy, this quote can illustrate the importance of legitimate governance.
More from Jean-Jacques Rousseau
All quotes βThe infant, on opening his eyes, ought to see his country, and to the hour of his death never lose sight of it.
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What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?
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O love, if I regret the age when one savors you, it is not for the hour of pleasure, but for the one that follows it.
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Those people who treat politics and morality separately will never understand either of them.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
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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