Rousseau, ​Emile

Sophy, or Woman

she must possess all those characters of her sex which are required to enable her to play her part
in the physical and moral order

she must possess all those characters of her sex which are required to enable her to play her part
in the physical and moral order

These resemblances and differences must have an influence on the moral nature; this
inference is obvious, and it is confirmed by experience;

When this principle is admitted, it follows that woman is specially made for man’s
delight.
If man in his turn ought to be pleasing in her eyes, the necessity is less urgent, his
virtue is in his strength, he pleases because he is strong. I grant you this is not the law
of love, but it is the law of nature, which is older than love itself.

This is the origin of attack and defence, of the boldness of one sex and the timidity of
the other, and even of the shame and modesty with which nature has armed the weak
for the conquest of the strong.

If the siege is to be successful, the besieged must permit or direct the attack. How
skilfully can she stimulate the efforts of the aggressor.

“What will people think” is the grave of a man’s virtue and the throne of a woman’s.

Sophy’s mind is pleasing but not brilliant, and thorough but not deep; it is the sort of
mind which calls for no remark, as she never seems cleverer or stupider than oneself.

Neither child nor woman, she may well partake of both.

If you punish her she is gentle and submissive, and you see that she is more
ashamed of the fault than the punishment. If you say nothing, she never fails to make
amends, and she does it so frankly and so readily that you cannot be angry with her.

she endures patiently the wrong-doing of others, and she is eager to atone for her
own

Woman is made to submit to man and to endure even injustice at his

hands.
You will never bring young lads to this; their feelings rise in revolt against injustice;
nature has not fitted them to put up with it.