Despotism Quotes - Page 6

• The worst of all States is the democratic State.

  Pierre Corneille

  Democracy, States, Democratic

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• ... ages in which the dominant weapon is expensive or difficult to make will tend to be ages of despotism, whereas when the dominant weapon is cheap and simple, the common people have a chance... A complex weapon makes the strong stronger, while a simple weapon -- so long as there is no answer to it -- gives claws to the weak.

  George Orwell

  Strong, Simple, Long

  George Orwell (1968). “The Collected Essays, Journalism, and Letters of George Orwell: In front of your nose, 1945-1950”

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• Despotism is a legitimate mode of government in dealing with barbarians, provided the end be their improvement.

  John Stuart Mill

  Government, Barbarians, Improvement

  John Stuart Mill (1989). “J. S. Mill: 'On Liberty' and Other Writings”, p.13, Cambridge University Press

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• The Jesuits are a MILITARY organization, not a religious order. Their chief is a general of an army, not the mere father abbot of a monastery. And the aim of this organization is power - power in its most despotic exercise - absolute power, universal power, power to control the world by the volition of a single man. Jesuitism is the most absolute of despotisms - and at the same time the greatest and most enormous of abuses.

  Napoleon Bonaparte

  Religious, Father, Military

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• The moment you introduce a despotism in the world of thought, you succeed in making hypocrites - and you get in such a position that you never know what your neighbor thinks.

  Robert Green Ingersoll

  Hypocrite, Thinking, Atheism

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1907). “The works of Robert G. Ingersoll”, p.2195, Library of Alexandria

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• We may say, in a broad way, that Greek philosophy down to Aristotle expresses the mentality appropriate to the City State; that Stoicism is appropriate to a cosmopolitan despotism; that stochastic philosophy is an intellectual expression of the Church as an organization; that philosophy since Descartes, or at any rate since Locke, tends to embody the prejudices of the commercial middle class; and that Marxism and Fascism are the philosophies appropriate to the modern industrial state.

  Bertrand Russell

  Philosophy, Expression, Class

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• Have them all shot. I don't want any of my workers dissatisfied.

  Charlie Chaplin

  Want, Shots, Dissent

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• Military despotism represses generous sentiments, priestly tyranny stifles them.

  Napoleon Bonaparte

  Military, Tyranny, Sentiments

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• If the objects who serve us feel ecstacy, they are much more often concerned with themselves than with us, and our own enjoyment is consequently impaired. The idea of seeing another person experience the same pleasure reduces one to a kind of equality which spoils the unutterable charms that come from despotism.

  Marquis de Sade

  Happiness, Men, Equality

  Sade (marquis de), Marquis de Sade (1987). “The 120 days of Sodom and other writings”, Grove Pr

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• William: "I'm sure we can all pull together, sir." Vetinari: "Oh, I do hope not. Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds of directions.

  Terry Pratchett

  Men, Together, Cooperation

  "The Truth". Book by ‎Terry Pratchett, 2000.

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• Summation of Leviathan: "The axiom, fear; the method, logic; the conclusion, despotism."

  Hugh Redwald Trevor-Roper

  History, Leviathan, Logic

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• The distinctions of personal merit and influence, so conspicuous in a republic, so feeble and obscure under a monarchy, were abolished by the despotism of the emperors; who substituted in their room a severe subordination of rank and office, from the titled slaves who were seated on the steps of the throne, to the meanest instruments of arbitrary power.

  Edward Gibbon

  History, Office, Thrones

  Edward Gibbon (2009). “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edited and Abridged): Abridged Edition”, p.325, Modern Library

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• The despotism of will in ideas is styled plan, project, character, obstinacy; its despotism in desires is called passion.

  Antoine Rivarol

  Passion, Character, Ideas

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• The steward, according to custom, had stopped all the clocks. This, in the language of Narouz, said "Your stay with us is so brief, let us not be reminded of the flight of the hours."

  Lawrence Durrell

  Emotion, Language, Flight

  "Balthazar".

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• What astonishing changes a few years are capable of producing! I am told that even respectable characters speak of a monarchical form of government without horror. From thinking proceeds speaking, thence to acting is often but a single step. But how irrevocable and tremendous! What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves, and that systems founded on the basis of equal liberty are merely ideal and falacious! Would to God that wise measures may be taken in time to avert the consequences we have but too much reason to apprehend.

  George Washington

  Wise, Taken, Character

  Letter to John Jay, August 15, 1786.

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• Law And Freedom without Violence (Anarchy) Law And Violence without Freedom (Despotism) Violence without Freedom And Law (Barbarism) Violence with Freedom And Law (Republic)

  Immanuel Kant

  Law, Republic, Anarchy

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• Beauty is the greatest of human powers. Any power without counterbalance or control becomes autocratic and leads to abuse and to folly. Despotism in a government is insanity; in woman, fantasy.

  Honore de Balzac

  Beauty, Power, Government

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• Monarchy hardens into despotism. Aristocracy contracts into oligarchy. Democracy expands into the supremacy of numbers.

  Lord Acton

  Numbers, Democracy, Aristocracy

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (2016). “The History of Freedom (and other Essays)”, p.42, Jazzybee Verlag

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• Neither should men study war with a view to the enslavement of those who do not deserve to be enslaved; but first of all they should provide against their own enslavement, and in the second place obtain empire for the good of the governed, and not for the sake of exercising a general despotism, and in the third place they should seek to be masters only over those who deserve to be slaves.

  Aristotle

  War, Exercise, Men

  Aristotle (2013). “The Essential Aristotle”, p.383, Simon and Schuster

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• Beneath a free government there is nothing but the intelligence of the people to keep the people's peace. Order must be preserved, not by a military police or regiments of horse-guards, but by the spontaneous concert of a well-informed population, resolved that the rights which have been rescued from despotism shall not be subverted by anarchy.

  Edward Everett

  Horse, Military, Order

  Edward Everett (1850). “Orations and speeches on various occasions”, p.609

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• There was one species of despotism under which he had long groaned, and that was petticoat government.

  Washington Irving

  Government, Long, Species

  Washington Irving (1999). “Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories”, p.58, Penguin

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• It has been said that terror is the principle of despotic government. Does your government therefore resemble despotism? Yes, as the sword that gleams in the hands of the heroes of liberty resembles that with which the henchmen of tyranny are armed ... The government of the revolution is liberty's despotism against tyranny.

  Maximilien Robespierre

  Hero, Government, Hands

  "Political Scientism - Beware the Enlightened Ones" by Robin Koerner, www.huffingtonpost.com. May 2, 2017.

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• Generally, I like all islands. There, it is easier to rule.

  Albert Camus

  Islands, Isolation, Easier

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• At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.

  Stendhal

  Distance, Power, Government

  "La Chartreuse de Parme (The Charterhouse of Parma)". Book by Stendhal (Chapter 16), 1839.

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• Julian sincerely abhorred the system of oriental despotism which Diocletian, Constantine, and the patient habits of four score years, had established in the empire. A motive of superstition prevented the execution of the design which Julian had frequently meditated, of relieving his head from the weight of a costly diadem; but he absolutely refused the title of Dominus or Lord, a word which was grown so familiar to the ears of the Romans, that they no longer remembered its servile and humiliating origin.

  Edward Gibbon

  Years, History, Design

  Edward Gibbon, Francis Parkman, William H. Prescott, Theodore Roosevelt (2012). “The Modern Library Essential World History 4-Book Bundle: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Abridged); Montcalm and Wolfe; History of the Conquest of Mexico; The Naval War of 1812”, p.648, Modern Library

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