--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Equality, because without it there can be…" description: "\"Equality, because without it there can be no liberty.\" — Jean-Jacques Rousseau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_equality_equality-because-without-it-there-can-be_1659220.png" --- # Equality, because without it there can be no liberty. ![“Equality, because without it there can be no liberty.” quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_equality_equality-because-without-it-there-can-be_1659220.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_equality_equality-because-without-it-there-can-be_1659220.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_equality_equality-because-without-it-there-can-be_1659220.png) > “Equality, because without it there can be no liberty.” [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Liberty depends on equal rights; without equality, freedom cannot exist. **In simple terms:** Equality is required for liberty. Key Takeaway Ensure fairness to protect freedom. Themes equality liberty rights Mood thoughtful serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - civil rights movements - democratic governance - human rights law Key Concepts social contract political philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance equality and individual freedom? - What policies best protect both? A Different Perspective Equality alone does not guarantee liberty without justice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Equality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) ## Related quotes > [The French Revolution gave us three... powerful ideas, or concepts - liberty, equality and fraternity. But these ideas... are not only right in themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-barenboim/the-french-revolution-gave-us-three-powerful-ideas-or-concepts/) [Daniel Barenboim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-barenboim/) > [Legislators and revolutionaries who promise both equality and liberty are visionaries and charlatans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/legislators-and-revolutionaries-who-promise-both-equality-and-liberty/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [“Jealousy is the foundation of equality, but not of liberty ; putting man constantly on his guard against the encroachments of his neighbors. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/jealousy-is-the-foundation-of-equality-but-not-of-liberty-putting-man/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [“Democracy is in the blood of the Muslims, who look upon complete equality of mankind, and believe in fraternity, equality, and liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/democracy-is-in-the-blood-of-the-muslims-who-look-upon-complete/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [ Democracy is in the blood of Musalmans, who look upon complete equality of manhood \[mankind\]…\[and\] believe in fraternity, equality and liberty. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali-jinnah/democracy-is-in-the-blood-of-musalmans-who-look-upon-complete/) [Muhammad Ali Jinnah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali-jinnah/) > [Our doctrine of equality and liberty and humanity comes from our belief in the brotherhood of man, through the fatherhood of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/our-doctrine-of-equality-and-liberty-and-humanity-comes-from-our/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [The deadly Hydra now is the hydra of Equality. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity is the three-fanged serpent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/the-deadly-hydra-now-is-the-hydra-of-equality-liberty-equality-and/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [France placed the state above society , democracy above constitutionalism, and equality above liberty. As a result, for much of the nineteenth century it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/france-placed-the-state-above-society-democracy-above/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [“Victims of the delusion that equality and liberty are the better assured by the multiplication of laws, nations daily consent to put up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-le-bon/victims-of-the-delusion-that-equality-and-liberty-are-the-better/) [Gustave Le Bon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-le-bon/) > [Socialism values equality more than liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/socialism-values-equality-more-than-liberty/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [“The object of civil society is justice, not truth, virtue, wealth, knowledge, glory or power. Justice is followed by equality and liberty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/the-object-of-civil-society-is-justice-not-truth-virtue-wealth/) [John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/) > [A society that aims for equality before liberty will end up with neither equality nor liberty. And a society that aims first for liberty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/a-society-that-aims-for-equality-before-liberty-will-end-up-with/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Abstract ideas like equality and liberty have a spurious transparency, and can be used to derive pleasing theorems in the manner of Jean-Jacques Rousseau…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/abstract-ideas-like-equality-and-liberty-have-a-spurious-transparency/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [“The deepest cause which made the French Revolution so disastrous to liberty was its theory of equality. Liberty was the watchword of the middle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-deepest-cause-which-made-the-french-revolution-so-disastrous-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are those, on the one hand, who hope to achieve the social revolution through the State by preserving and even extending most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kropotkin/there-are-those-on-the-one-hand-who-hope-to-achieve-the-social/) [Peter Kropotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kropotkin/) ## More by Jean-Jacques Rousseau > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take the course opposite to custom and you will almost always do well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-the-course-opposite-to-custom-and-you-will-almost-always-do-well/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given to us by education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/everything-we-do-not-have-at-our-birth-and-which-we-need-when-we-are/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [...in respect of riches, no citizen shall ever be wealthy enough to buy another, and none poor enough to be forced to sell himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/in-respect-of-riches-no-citizen-shall-ever-be-wealthy-enough-to-buy/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Take from the philosopher the pleasure of being heard and his desire for knowledge ceases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/take-from-the-philosopher-the-pleasure-of-being-heard-and-his-desire/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Men, in general, are not this or that, they are what they are made to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/men-in-general-are-not-this-or-that-they-are-what-they-are-made-to-be/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I would rather be a man of paradoxes than a man of prejudices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-would-rather-be-a-man-of-paradoxes-than-a-man-of-prejudices/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“O Fabricius! What would your great soul have thought, if to your own misfortune you had been called back to life and had seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/o-fabricius-what-would-your-great-soul-have-thought-if-to-your-own/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“The sword wears out its sheath, as it is sometimes said. That is my story. My passions have made me live, and my passions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-sword-wears-out-its-sheath-as-it-is-sometimes-said-that-is-my/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Whence do I get my rules of conduct? I find them in my heart. Whatever I feel to be good is good. Whatever I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/whence-do-i-get-my-rules-of-conduct-i-find-them-in-my-heart-whatever/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“If one divided all of human science into two parts - the one common to all men, the other particular to the learned -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/if-one-divided-all-of-human-science-into-two-parts-the-one-common-to/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The social compact sets up among the citizens as equality of such kind, that they all bind themselves to observe the same conditions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-social-compact-sets-up-among-the-citizens-as-equality-of-such/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I do not know is a phrase which becomes us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/i-do-not-know-is-a-phrase-which-becomes-us/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“How could I become wicked, when I had nothing but examples of gentleness before my eyes, and none around me but the best people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/how-could-i-become-wicked-when-i-had-nothing-but-examples-of/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) [Explore all 518 Jean-Jacques Rousseau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) ## More Equality quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Nothing says the party is over more than when you run out of ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rande-gerber/nothing-says-the-party-is-over-more-than-when-you-run-out-of-ice/) [Rande Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rande-gerber/) > [I hope that we always have diversity, that we have equality and representation every step of the way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsai-martin/i-hope-that-we-always-have-diversity-that-we-have-equality-and/) [Marsai Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsai-martin/) > [“Unless man is commited to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labours in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-clayton-powell/unless-man-is-commited-to-the-belief-that-all-mankind-are-his/) Adam Clayton Powell > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/) [Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/) > [ \[Fighting for equality for women\] that's what my mission has been for the last years. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/fighting-for-equality-for-women-that-s-what-my-mission-has-been-for/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [We have to restore power to the family, to the neighborhood, and the community with a non-market principle, a principle of equality, of charity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/we-have-to-restore-power-to-the-family-to-the-neighborhood-and-the/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [When we speak about equality, you want to be playing on the best pitches with the best facilities. You want to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-duggan/when-we-speak-about-equality-you-want-to-be-playing-on-the-best/) [Toni Duggan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-duggan/) > [Free milk will be provided in Hoxton and Shoredith, in Eton and Harrow. What more social equality can you have than that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-wilkinson/free-milk-will-be-provided-in-hoxton-and-shoredith-in-eton-and-harrow/) [Ellen Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-wilkinson/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [I will always support legislation which respects and values life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gresham-barrett/i-will-always-support-legislation-which-respects-and-values-life/) [Gresham Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gresham-barrett/) > [Sporting events like the Olympics have developed and maintained a clear message of promoting gender equality as an essential criterion in the success of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-attias/sporting-events-like-the-olympics-have-developed-and-maintained-a/) [Richard Attias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-attias/) > [Although it may be difficult in theory to know what is just and equal, the practical difficulty of inducing those to forbear who can,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/although-it-may-be-difficult-in-theory-to-know-what-is-just-and-equal/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) [Browse all 3,799 Equality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Equality, because without it there can be no liberty.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/equality-because-without-it-there-can-be-no-liberty/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Equality" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/equality-because-without-it-there-can-be-no-liberty/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_equality_equality-because-without-it-there-can-be_1659220.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_equality_equality-because-without-it-there-can-be_1659220.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/jean-jacques-rousseau-418_equality_equality-because-without-it-there-can-be_1659220.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Equality, because without it there can be no liberty.” — Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jean-Jacques Rousseau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Equality, because without it there can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/equality-because-without-it-there-can-be-no-liberty/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/equality-because-without-it-there-can-be-no-liberty/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```