Comparison Quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
““Political writers argue in regard to the love of liberty with the same philosophy that philosophers do in regard to the state of nature; by the things they see they judge of things very different which they have never seen, and they attribute to men a natural inclination to slavery, on account of the patience with which the slaves within their notice carry the yoke; not reflecting that it is with liberty as with innocence and virtue, the value of which is not known but by those who possess them, though the relish for them is lost with the things themselves. I know the charms of your country, said Brasidas to a satrap who was comparing the life of the Spartans with that of the Persepolites; but you can not know the pleasures of mine.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Social Contract, 1762
Rousseau argues that political writers project their own biases onto concepts of liberty, misreading nature and assuming people are naturally inclined to slavery, while true value of liberty is only recognized by those who possess it.
In simple terms: Political writers misinterpret liberty, assuming people are inclined to slavery.
Key Takeaway
Recognize bias in political arguments about freedom.
Themes
politics
philosophy
freedom
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- education
- public debate
- media critique
Key Concepts
social contract
human nature
bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How do our assumptions shape political discourse?
- Can we ever truly understand another's experience of freedom?
A Different Perspective
Liberty's value is only evident to those who experience it.
![“Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine is too complicated for all the elements to be able to enter into the analytical comparison we wish to make, we separate the more inconvenient [elements], we…” quote by Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d9/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_able_geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics_6945.jpg)
