Patience patience quotes is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
Jean-Jacques RousseauRead
The word ‘slavery’ and ‘right’ are contradictory, they cancel each other out. Whether as between one man and another, or between one man and a whole people, it would always be absurd to say: "I hereby make a covenant with you which is wholly at your expense and wholly to my advantage; I will respect it so long as I please and you shall respect it as long as I wish.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Slavery and rights are inherently opposing concepts that cannot coexist.
In this quote, Rousseau asserts that the concept of slavery fundamentally contradicts the principles of rights and justice. He critiques the idea of agreements that exploit one party at the expense of another, emphasizing that true respect and ethics cannot exist in a relationship founded on domination and inequality, regardless of the nature of that relationship.
Themes
SlaveryRightsJusticeEqualityCovenantDominance
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate on human rights, this quote can emphasize the incompatibility of slavery and true justice.
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