Nothing is quite so wretchedly corrupt as an aristocracy which has lost its power but kept its wealth and which still has endless leisure to devote to nothing but banal enjoyments. All its great thoughts and passionate energy are things of the past, and nothing but a host of petty, gnawing vices now cling to it like worms to a corpse.
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To wage a war for a purely moral reason is as absurd as to ravish a woman for a purely read more
To wage a war for a purely moral reason is as absurd as to ravish a woman for a purely moral reason.
The glory of a nation and an age is always the work of a few great persons, and it disappears read more
The glory of a nation and an age is always the work of a few great persons, and it disappears with them.
If there were a verb meaning "to believe falsely," it would not have any significant first person, present indicative.
If there were a verb meaning "to believe falsely," it would not have any significant first person, present indicative.
The ingrained idea that, because there is no king and they despise titles, the Americans are a free people is read more
The ingrained idea that, because there is no king and they despise titles, the Americans are a free people is pathetically untrue. There is a perpetual interference with personal liberty over there that would not be tolerated in England for a week.
Because we can expect future generations to be richer than we are, no matter what we do about resources, asking read more
Because we can expect future generations to be richer than we are, no matter what we do about resources, asking us to refrain from using resources now so that future generations can have them later is like asking the poor to make gifts to the rich.
From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need.
From each, according to his ability; to each, according to his need.
I have impeached myself by resigning.
I have impeached myself by resigning.
The most heroic word in all languages is revolution.
The most heroic word in all languages is revolution.
Given that some social processes must convey inherent constraints, the choice is among various mixtures of persuasion, force, and cultural read more
Given that some social processes must convey inherent constraints, the choice is among various mixtures of persuasion, force, and cultural inducement. The less of one, the more of the others. The degree of freedom that is possible is therefore tied to the extent to which people respond to persuasion or inducement.
