Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed read more

Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.

...Although the political liberty of this country is greater than that of nearly every other civilized nation, its personal liberty read more

...Although the political liberty of this country is greater than that of nearly every other civilized nation, its personal liberty is said to be less. In other words, men are thought to be more under the control of extra-legal authorities, and to defer more to those around them, in pursuing even their lawful and innocent occupations, than in almost every other country.

Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant read more

Even a cursory glance at history should convince one that individual crimes committed for selfish motives play a quite insignificant part in the human tragedy, compared to the numbers massacred in unselfish loyalty to one's tribe, nation, dynasty, church, or political ideology, ad majorem gloriam dei. The emphasis is on unselfish. Excepting a small minority of mercenary or sadistic disposition, wars are not fought for personal gain, but out of loyalty and devotion to king, country or cause. Homicide committed for personal reasons is a statistical rarity in all cultures, including our own. Homicide for unselfish reasons, at the risk of one's own life, is the dominant phenomenon of history.

The part of our social order which can or ought to be made a conscious product of human reason is read more

The part of our social order which can or ought to be made a conscious product of human reason is only a small part of all the forces of society.

A criminal trial is like a Russian novel: it starts with exasperating slowness as the characters are introduced to a read more

A criminal trial is like a Russian novel: it starts with exasperating slowness as the characters are introduced to a jury, then there are complications in the form of minor witnesses, the protagonist finally appears and contradictions arise to produce drama, and finally as both jury and spectators grow weary and confused the pace quickens, reaching its climax in passionate final argument.

Capital is a result of labor, and is used by labor to assist it in further production. Labor is the read more

Capital is a result of labor, and is used by labor to assist it in further production. Labor is the active and initial force, and labor is therefore the employer of capital.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violen trevolution inevitable.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violen trevolution inevitable.

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

For whatever deserves to exist deserves also to be known, for knowledge is the image of existence; and things mean read more

For whatever deserves to exist deserves also to be known, for knowledge is the image of existence; and things mean and splendid exist alike.