Theory of Politics: An Inquiry Into the Foundations of Governments, and the Causes and Progress of Political RevolutionsHarper, 1854 - 274 pages |
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accumulation of wealth administration admiration aggregation agricultural America ancient authority barbarians become body burgher burgher class Cæsar centuries chattel slavery chief Christian church church of England citizens civic aristocracies civilization clergy combination comitia tributa conquered conquest degree democracy democratic elements of power eloquence England equality established Europe exercise existing extent fact favor force forensic form of government France Freethinkers French revolution Gaul Greek hands hunter idea of property increase individual influence of mystical Italy kings knowledge labor least less liberty mass means ment monarchy moral municipal mystical ideas mystical influence nobility nobles oligarchy operation original pains palæstra party period Persian empire pleasure plunder political power possession presently priests property in power Protestant reëstablish republics resistance revolution Roman empire sagacity Sarmatia SECTION SECOND sentiment shepherd tribes slaves social spirit strength struggle subjects superior tended theocracy theocratic thing tion traditionary respect tyranny whole
Popular passages
Page iii - Why should that name be sounded more than yours ? Write them together, yours is as fair a name; Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with them, Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar.
Page 153 - IF you should see a flock of pigeons in a field of corn; and if (instead of each picking where and what it liked, taking just as much as it wanted, and no more) you should see ninety-nine of them gathering all they got into a heap; reserving nothing for themselves but the chaff and the refuse; keeping this heap for one, and that the weakest perhaps...
Page iii - Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonorable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates: The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves that we are underlings.
Page 43 - I thank God, there are no free schools nor printing, and I hope we shall not have these hundred years; for learning has brought disobedience, and heresy, and sects into the world, and printing has divulged them, and libels against the best government. God keep us from both!
Page 189 - So it is in contemplation ; if a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts ; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties.
Page 154 - ... worst, pigeon of the flock; sitting round, and looking on all the winter, whilst this one was devouring, throwing about, and wasting it ; and if a pigeon more hardy or hungry than the rest, touched a grain of the hoard, all the others instantly flying upon it, and tearing it to pieces ; if you should see this, you would see nothing more than what is every day' practised and established among men.
Page 230 - Latona's twin-born progeny, Which after held the sun and moon in fee. But this is got by casting pearl to hogs, That bawl for freedom in their senseless mood, And still revolt when truth would set them free. License they mean when they cry Liberty ; For who loves that must first be wise and good...
Page 154 - Among men, you see the ninety and nine toiling and scraping together a heap of superfluities for one (and this one, too, oftentimes the feeblest and worst of the whole set ; a child, a woman, a madman, or a fool) ; getting nothing for themselves all the while, but a little of the coarsest of the provision which their own industry produces ; looking quietly on, while they see the fruits of all their labour spent or spoiled ; and if one of the number take or touch a particle of the hoard, the others...
Page 260 - Naples rather in the hands of the first, than of the other. /One may generally observe, that the body of a people has juster views for the public good, and pursues them with greater uprightness than the nobility and gentry, who have so many private expectations and particular interests, which hang like a false bias upon their judgments, and may possibly dispose them to sacrifice the good of their country to the advancement of their own fortunes.
Page 55 - Property is nothing but a basis of expectation; the expectation of deriving certain advantages from a thing which we are said to possess, in consequence of the relation in which we stand towards it. There is no image, no painting, no visible trait, which can express the relation that constitutes property. It is not material, it is metaphysical; it is a mere conception of the mind.