Quotes About Society

I come now to the question of forms of government, and it is natural to begin with absolute monarchy, as the oldest, simplest, and most widespread of the constitutions known in historical times.

A government is usually called 'democratic' if a fairly large percentage of the population has a share of political power. The most extreme Greek democracies excluded women and slaves, and America considered itself a democracy before women had the vote. Clearly an oligarchy approaches more nearly to a democracy as the percentage possessed of political power increases. The characteristic features of oligarchy only appear when this percentage is rather small.

Self-government in industry, for example, is an indispensable condition of a good society. Those acts of an individual or a group which have no very great importance for outsiders ought to be freely decided by that individual or group. This is recognized as regards religion, but ought to be recognized over a much wider field.

The laws of social dynamics are—so I shall contend—only capable of being stated in terms of power in its various forms. In order to discover these laws, it is necessary first to classify the forms of power, and then to review various important historical examples

Me temo que se está acabando la época de la gente bien; dos cosas la matan: la primera es la creencia de que no hay peligro en ser feliz con tal que no se haga daño a nadie; la segunda es la aversión a la farsa, aversión tanto estética como moral.

Most people in civilized communities do not steal, and I think the usual motive is the great likelihood of punishment here on earth. This is borne out by the fact that in a mining camp during a gold rush, or in any such disorderly community, almost everybody steals.

Bir trenle Kaliforniya ovalar?n? geçerken bir sabun reklam?n?n hoparlörden yükselen gürültüsünü duymamaya çal???yordum; o s?rada yaÅŸl? bir çiftçi güleç bir yüzle yan?ma yaklaÅŸarak, Bu zamanda nereye gidersen git, uygarl?ktan yakan? kurtaramazs?n, dedi. Heyhat! Ne kadar doÄŸru!..

Modem methods of production have given us the possibility of ease and security for all; we have chosen, instead, to have overwork for some and starvation for others. Hitherto we have continued to be as energetic as we were before there were machines; in this we have been foolish, but there is no reason to go on being foolish for ever.

The State has one purpose which is on the whole good, namely, the substitution of law for force in the relations of men. But

The merits of democracy are negative: it does not insure good government, but it prevents certain evils.

A great many of the impulses which now lead nations to go to war are in themselves essential to any vigorous or progressive life. Without imagination and love of adventure a society soon becomes stagnant and begins to decay. Conflict, provided it is not destructive and brutal, is necessary in order to stimulate men's activities, and to secure the victory of what is living over what is dead or merely traditional.

Morala curent? este un amestec bizar de utilitarism È™i superstiÈ›ie, unde îns?, cum e È™i firesc, precump?neÈ™te componenta superstiÈ›ioas?, de vreme ce superstiÈ›ia se afl? la obârÈ™ia regulilor morale.

People do not always remember that politics, economics, and social organization generally, belong in the realm of means, not ends... a society does not, or at least should not, exist to satisfy an external survey, but to bring a good life to the individuals who compose it.

Since the Reagan era, Republicans have prescribed cuts for rich people and corporations as a cure-all. But every time they put their theory into practice, the rich just get richer, and everyone else gets left behind.

All people are born alike - except Republicans and Democrats.

Our greatest leaders - both Republicans and Democrats - have recognized the power of a strong and growing middle class.

I think social and moral disengagement is repugnant.

I was brought up when media still kept totally away from violence when it came to children. I don't think it would have made me scared of violence, but I find it repulsive.

Ballet-girls have a bad reputation, which is in most cases well deserved.

The Internet does not have a reputation as being a particularly civilized place.

I have joy. Canadians have the reputation of making dark movies because we are in this society where we have the space to explore darkness. That's the way I see it.

With the requests of some he complied, and has published a discourse, delivered before the Society for recovering drowned persons, which may be justly pronounced one of the most beautiful and interesting sermons in the English language.

While admirers of capitalism, we also to a certain extent believe it has limitations that require government intervention in markets to make them work.

Marriage and the creation of families has been an integral part of our society since its creation; it should not be defined without the kind of involvement by the people which a constitutional process would require.