When you think of the Enlightenment in Europe—also known as the Age of Reason, which took place in the late 17th and 18th centuries—you might think of many things, such as intellectual ideas touching on religion, politics, reason for being and more. As Britannica reported, “the use and celebration of reason, the power by which humans understand the universe and improve their condition,” was at the center of the Age of Enlightenment.
Key figures in this period included Voltaire, Immanuel Kant, Benjamin Franklin and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In fact, Rousseau is considered “one of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment in 18th century Europe,” according to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. He was a philosopher, writer and political theorist born in 1712 in Geneva, Switzerland, and he wrote many novels and treatises (written works that formally deal with a subject) that inspired French Revolution leaders and Romantic writers alike, per Britannica. Our quote of the day comes from one of his most famous treatises and focuses on the importance of kindness.
According to Britannica, Rousseau was less of an academic philosopher and wrote more about the way of life and existence in this world. He influenced music and artistic choices of the time, along with politics and reform, and changed how people expressed emotions such as love and friendship. Plus, he really wanted parents to be more interested in their children simply being kids and not being so stringent with them.
This is essentially what Rousseau was writing about in the passage where today’s quote comes from. He believed that placing burdens and too many responsibilities on kids took away from their youth. And above all, being kind was the most important “first duty” people had (as citizens of the world and as parents).
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Quote of the Day by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“Men, be kind to your fellow-men; this is your first duty, kind to every age and station, kind to all that is not foreign to humanity. What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?”
This quote can be found in Rousseau’s Emile, or Education, his “classic work on the philosophy and practice of education,” according to the Online Library of Liberty. It was originally published in 1762. This quote appears in Book II of the treatise, which starts off with Rousseau writing about the second phase of life, which is infancy. He then goes into how children start to cry less as they learn to speak more, but there are still things that make them cry, of course.
He writes that no one knows when they will die, and many (at the time) don’t even reach old age. Rousseau states that “cruel education… sacrifices the present to an uncertain future,” and burdens children with limitations that ultimately make them “miserable.”
Rousseau then writes our quote of the day. He follows it up with the sentiment that there is so much fun in childhood, something that adults remember fondly but can never return to. And because of this, fathers shouldn’t put more burdens on their kids because you never know how long each person has or what they will face throughout their lives.
“Do not lay up sorrow for yourselves by robbing them of the short span which nature has allotted to them,” he wrote. “As soon as they are aware of the joy of life, let them rejoice in it, so that whenever God calls them they may not die without having tasted the joy of life.”
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Deeper Meaning of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Quote—No Greater Wisdom Than Kindness
Rousseau is sharing a pretty “out there” belief for the time period in this passage, telling parents (or fathers specifically) to ease up on the “shackles” of education and expectation and let kids be kids.
But on top of all that is our quote for the day, which is a statement he throws in there to remind parents how important kindness is. While generosity or compassion aren’t the main point of Book II (or even this section of the book), it’s all a part of his message to be nicer to children and let them lean into their childhood more.
So, whether you’re reading it in the context of the book it appears in or at face value, the quote means the same. Rousseau is saying that being thoughtful is your first job, no ifs, ands or buts. And that this “first duty” is not just to be nice to some people or just your kids. He states that you should be considerate with “every age and station,” which was another radical thought for the time. Not only was this a point in history where kids were meant to be seen and not heard, but it was also not really one where they were respected or treated with kindness just because. And it certainly was not a time when being nice to those lower than you on the social food chain was done, let alone expected.
He states that you should basically be considerate to all of humanity and that it’s the greatest wisdom out there.
It can be easy to move through life quickly and fall into the hustle and bustle of work or family life. But you should always find time to be kind to others, no matter who they are. Lead with kindness first, and you’ll go far.
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More Quotes from Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- “People who know little are usually great talkers, while men who know much say little.”
- “Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.”
- “The thirst after happiness is never extinguished in the heart of man.”
- “Teach by doing whenever you can, and only fall back upon words when doing it is out of the question.”
- “It is as if my heart and my brain did not belong to the same person. Feelings come quicker than lightning and fill my soul, but they bring me no illumination; they burn me and dazzle me.”
- “Gratitude is indeed a duty which we are bound to pay, but which benefactors cannot exact.”
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