Quotes About Authority

The view that the truth is one and undivided, and the same for all men everywhere at all times, whether one finds it in the pronouncements of sacred books, traditional wisdom, the authority of churches, democratic majorities, observation and experiment conducted by qualified experts, or the convictions of simple folks uncorrupted by civilisation---this view, in one form or another, is central to western thought, which stems from Plato and his disciples.

If Orwell had a chance to write 1984 from the vantage point of 1984 instead of 1948, perhaps he would have seen the class of hackers instead of the proles as a threat to Big Brother's rule.

Anybody who asks for democracy to be introduced should respect the results of democracy.

Can one move an empire as if it were a house?

My favourite mentor brother told me that there were three kinds of people: followers, leaders and scouts. Scouts are capeable of leadership, but they could not tolerate the responsibility of it. Disinclined to take orders either, they invariably flouted authority and fomented strife. This is why scouts, he said wryly, were the first to be sent into danger, It was half hoped they would be killed. 'I fear you are destined to trouble us as a scout, little sister' he said

Absolute power is universally coveted, though all know that an absolute ruler has an anxious life and usually a violent death.

When God punishes a land, he deprives it leaders of wisdom.

Better no law than laws not enforced.

By learning to obey, you will know how to command.

Nobody these days holds the written word in such high esteem as police states do,' Arkadian Porpirych says. 'What statistic allows one to identify the nations where literature enjoys true consideration better than the sums appropriated for controlling it and suppressing it? Where it is the object of such attentions, literature gains an extraordinary authority, inconceivable in countries where it is allowed to vegetate as an innocuous pastime, without risks.

This is the paradox of the power of literature: it seems that only when it is persecuted does it show its true powers, challenging authority, whereas in our permissive society it feels that it is being used merely to create the occasional pleasing contrast to the general ballooning of verbiage.

Aç?k konu?al?m: Her rejim, hatta en otoriter olan bile de?i?ken bir denge durumunda ayakta kalabilir, bu nedenle kendi bask? donan?m?n?n varl???n? sürekli olarak hakl? göstermesi gerekir ve bask? uygulayacak bir ?eylere gereksinme duyar.

I felt cheated and I decided to demand justice of the sultan.

U?wiadomi?em sobie w?asne ograniczenia - powiedzia? mi. - W procesie lektury zachodzi co?, na co nie mam wp?ywu." Mog?em mu odpowiedzie?, ?e tej granicy nie mo?e przekroczy? nawet najbardziej wszechobecna policja ?wiata. Mo?emy zabroni? czytania, lecz w dekrecie zabraniaj?cym czytania da?oby si? wyczyta? co? z prawdy, której woleliby?my nigdy nie ujawnia?...

So many stories were told about him: that he had held important positions—grand dignitary of the sultan, hydraulic engineer to the diwan, or others like that

What statistic allows one to identify the nations where literature enjoys true consideration better than the sums appropriated for controlling it and suppressing it? Where it is the object of such attentions, literature gains an extraordinary authority, inconceivable in countries where it is allowed to vegetate as an innocuous pastime, without risks.

Chi comanda alla racconto non è la voce: è l'orecchio.

When examples of openness of thought come from a single ruler, they count for nothing, except to show that he alone can afford to be like that because he is king.

Il Re deve stare al gioco: non stipendia forse il Matto apposta per farsi contraddire e canzonare? È antica e saggia usanza nelle corti che il Matto o Giullare o Poeta eserciti la sua funzione di capovolgere e deridere i valori sui quali il sovrano basa il proprio dominio, e gli dimostri che ogni linea diritta nasconde un rovescio storto, ogni prodotto finito uno sconquasso di pezzi che non combaciano, ogni discorso filato un bla-bla-bla.

The obstinacy on which power is based is never so fragile as in the moment of its triumph.

Under the law established by the possessor of the greatest number of devices, sickness and the sick will flourish.

It is never good news when a parent resorts to your full name.

Leadership does not depend on being right.

The public school has become the established church of secular society.