Quotes About Authority

Annas and Caiaphas embodied, to my eyes, good sense itself.

Pope Innocent IX, who, having commissioned a painting in which he was shown on his deathbed, glanced at it each time he had to make some important decision.

The right to suppress everyone that bothers us should rank first in the constitution of the ideal State.

Încetezi s? exiÈ™ti în orice regim, religios sau politic, care suprim? erezia, voinÈ›a de a merge contra dogmei sau a curentului.

En général, les hommes n'aspirent à s'instruire que dans la mesure où ils sont affranchis du joug de la tradition; car tant que celle-ci est maîtresse des intelligences, elle suffit à tout et ne tolère pas facilement de puissance rivale.

Liberty is the daughter of authority properly understood. For to be free is not to do what one pleases; it is to be the master of oneself, it is to know how to act within reason and to do one's duty.

Crime in full glory consolidates authority by the sacred fear it inspires.

la natura della moltitudine è tale che o serve con umiltà o domina con superbia»,

La folla è un gregge che non può fare a meno di un padrone».

Robespierre è l'esempio perfetto del carattere del capo di un gregge democratico».

Per i Padri fondatori, la folla era stata un alleato prezioso per iniziare la ribellione, ma una volta fondati gli Stati Uniti, il popolo doveva lasciarsi governare e guidare dai più saggi e competenti. La rivolta per iniziare la rivoluzione era stata la funzione della folla: concludere la rivoluzione era la funzione dei capi;

Cromwell fu il primo capo vittorioso di una rivoluzione moderna che abbia trasformato la repubblica in una dittatura personale, e la dittatura personale in una dittatura ereditaria.

I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.

The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they do not turn against him, they crush those beneath them.

The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don't turn against him, they crush those beneath them.

Incarceration seems to have been obtained in consequence of Mrs. Packard using her reason and, not as reported, by her losing her reason.

In an ordinary despotism, the powers of a despot are limited by his bodily capacity, and by the calls of pleasure; he is but one man; there are but twelve hours in his day, and he is not disposed to employ more than a small part in dull business; he keeps the rest for the court, or the harem, or for society.

Now that the suffrage is universal, the average intellect and the average culture of the constituent bodies are excessively low; and even such mind and culture as there is has long been enslaved to authority.

But in free nations, the votes so weighed or so counted must decide. A perfect free government is one which decides perfectly according to those votes; an imperfect, one which so decides imperfectly; a bad, one which does not so decide at all.

The idea that the head of the Government is the head of society is so fixed in the ideas of mankind that only a few philosophers regard it as historical and accidental, though when the matter is examined, that conclusion is certain and even obvious.

The Congress declares war, but they would find it very difficult, according to the recent construction of their laws, to compel the President to make a peace.

The leading statesmen in a free country have great momentary power. They settle the conversation of mankind. It is they who, by a great speech or two, determine what shall be said and what shall be written for long after.

The mode of governing the country, according to the existing laws, is mostly worn into a rut, and most administrations move in it because it is easier to move there than anywhere else.

The House of Commons has inquired into most things, but has never had a committee on "the Queen". There is no authentic blue-book to say what she does. Such an investigation cannot take place; but if it could, it would probably save her much vexatious routine, and many toilsome and unnecessary hours.