The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green.
Thomas CarlyleRead
Democracy will prevail when men believe the vote of Judas as good as that of Jesus Christ.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that true democracy requires equal respect for all voices, regardless of their moral standing.
Thomas Carlyle's quote emphasizes the notion that for democracy to function effectively, it must treat all votes equally, reflecting a belief that every person's opinion holds value, even if one is viewed as morally questionable, like Judas. This challenges individuals to reconsider their perceptions of worth and equality in the context of political discourse and governance.
Themes
DemocracyEqualityVotePoliticsMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about civic responsibility, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of valuing every vote.
More from Thomas Carlyle
All quotes βThirty millions, mostly fools.
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There is a great discovery still to be made in literature, that of paying literary men by the quantity they do not write.
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For the superior morality, of which we hear so much, we too would desire to be thankful: at the same time, it were but blindness to deny that this superior morality is properly rather an inferior criminality, produced not by greater love of Virtue, but by greater perfection of Police; and of that far subtler and stronger Police, called Public Opinion.
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Enjoying things which are pleasant; that is not the evil; it is the reducing of our moral self to slavery by them that is.
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Clean undeniable right, clear undeniable might: either of these once ascertained puts an end to battle. All battle is a confused experiment to ascertain one and both of these.
Thomas CarlyleRead
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