Archive

Quotes

Politics is the art of the possible.

—Otto von Bismarck, 1867

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always count on the support of Paul.

—George Bernard Shaw, 1944

The more corrupt the republic, the more numerous the laws.

—Tacitus, c. 117

The Revolution is made by man, but man must forge his revolutionary spirit from day to day.

—Che Guevara, 1968

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.

—Paul Valéry, 1943

Natural rights is simple nonsense: natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense—nonsense upon stilts.

—Jeremy Bentham, c. 1832

To be turned from one’s course by men’s opinions, by blame, and by misrepresentation shows a man unfit to hold office.

—Quintus Fabius Maximus, c. 203 BC

Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.

—Immanuel Kant, 1784

Why has the government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.

—Alexander Hamilton, 1787

Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.

—Laozi, c. 500 BC

A real leader is somebody who can help us overcome the limitations of our own individual laziness and selfishness and weakness and fear and get us to do better, harder things than we can get ourselves to do on our own.

—David Foster Wallace, 2000

There is no method by which men can be both free and equal.

—Walter Bagehot, 1863

The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects.

—Laozi