1001Philosophers

Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes on Virtue

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was an 18th-century Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer whose work profoundly influenced political theory, education, literature, and the French Revolution. This page collects quotes attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau on the topic of virtue, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

    “Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education.”

  • Attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

    “To renounce liberty is to renounce being a man, to surrender the rights of humanity and even its duties.”

  • Attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

    “People who know little are usually great talkers, while men who know much say little.”

  • Attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau:

    “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”