Quotes About Authority

Books may preach when the author cannot, when the author may not, when the author dares not, yes, and which is more, when the author is not.

If one really believed in the reliability and permanence of an international arrangement, such schemes for providing the authority with 'hostages' might be more efficient, even more humane, than providing it with bombers and shock troops. One could even go further and let the force have a monopoly of critical medicines to use for bacterial warfare on a transgressor country. As soon as it starts an epidemic, it send its medical units in to make sure that no one suffers who cooperates.

Obedience is our universal duty and destiny; wherein whoso will not bend must break; too early and too thoroughly we cannot be trained to know that "would," in this world of ours, is a mere zero to "should," and for most part as the smallest of fractions even to "shall."

Not brute force but only persuasion and faith are the kings of this world.

Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.

A whiff of grapeshot.

Fire is the best of servants; but what a master!

The real use of gunpowder is to make all men tall.

Such I hold to be the genuine use of Gunpowder: that it makes all men tall.

Surely of all 'rights of man', this right of the ignorant man to be guided by the wiser, to be, gently or forcibly, held in the true course by him, is the indisputablest.

Counsel dwells not under the plumed hat.

Our 'superior morality' is properly rather an 'inferior criminality' produced not by greater love of Virtue, but by greater perfection of Police; and of that far subtler and stronger Police, called Public Opinion.

Democracy, on this new occasion, finds all Kings conscious that they are but Play-actors.

Men seldom, or rather never for a length of time and deliberately, rebel against anything that does not deserve rebelling against.

The Great Man was always as lightning out of Heaven; the rest of men waited for him like fuel, and then they too would flame.

Find in any country the Ablest Man that exists there; raise him to the supreme place, and loyally reverence him: you have a perfect government for that country; no ballot-box, parliamentary eloquence, voting, constitution-building, or other machinery whatsoever can improve it a whit.

The rule of law bakes no bread, it is unable to distribute loaves or fishes (it has none), and it cannot protect itself against external assault, but it re- mains the most civilized and least burdensome conception of a state yet to be devised. —Michael Oakeshott, 19831

You probably learned in your high school civics course, as I did in mine, that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Well, I'm here to tell you this morning that this is not strictly true. The Court of Public Opinion is actually the highest court in the land.

Although I often give in to my daughter, she is fully aware that I am the only one at home who will discipline her if she is naughty.

When I was 17, I was told I had the choice of enlisting in the Navy or going to jail, so I spent the next three years in the Navy.

When liberty becomes license, dictatorship is near.

The nearest approach to immortality on earth is a government bureau.

Despotism isn't nearly as bad as it's cracked up to be.

You may have the might, but that does not necessarily make you right.