Jean-Jacques Rousseau
French philosopher, writer, composer
(1712-1778)
“Ruthless man: you begin by slaying the animal and then you devour it, as if to slay it twice. It is not enough. You turn against the dead flesh, it revolts you, it must be transformed by fire, boiled and roasted, seasoned and disguised with drugs; you must have butchers, cooks, turnspits, men who will rid the murder of its horrors, who will dress the dead bodies so that the taste deceived by these disguises will not reject what is strange to it, and will feast on corpses, the very sight of which would sicken you.”
“The animals you eat are not those who devour others; you do not eat the carnivorous beasts, you take them as your pattern. You only hunger after sweet and gentle creatures who harm no one, follow you, serve you, and are devoured by you as the reward of their service.”
“Everything is good as it leaves the hands of the Author of things; everything degenerates in the hands of man.”
“Nature never deceives us; it is always we who deceive ourselves.”
“Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.”
“A country cannot subsist well without liberty, nor liberty without virtue.”
“One could wish no easier death than that of Socrates, calmly discussing philosophy with his friends; one could fear nothing worse than that of Jesus, dying in torment, among the insults, the mockery, the curses of the whole nation. In the midst of these terrible sufferings, Jesus prays for his cruel murderers. Yes, if the life and death of Socrates are those of a philosopher, the life and death of Christ are those of a God.”
“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”