A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
Thomas PaineRead
The end of all political associations is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man; and these rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance of oppression.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Political associations exist to protect fundamental human rights, including liberty and property.
In this quote, Thomas Paine emphasizes that the primary purpose of any political organization or government should be to safeguard the inherent rights of individuals. He identifies these rights as key elements of human existence that must be preserved against any form of injustice or oppression, underlining the importance of personal freedom and security in society.
Themes
PoliticalRightsLibertyOppressionSecurity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about human rights, one might quote Thomas Paine to emphasize the importance of protecting personal freedoms.
More from Thomas Paine
All quotes βThat God cannot lie, is no advantage to your argument, because it is no proof that priests can not, or that the Bible does not.
Thomas PaineRead
I consider the war of America against Britain as the country's war, the public's war, or the war of the people in their own behalf, for the security of their natural rights, and the protection of their own property.
Thomas PaineRead
Had the news of salvation by Jesus Christ been inscribed on the face of the sun and the moon, in characters that all nations would have understood, the whole earth had known it in twenty-four hours, and all nations would have believed it; whereas, though it is now almost two thousand years since, as they tell us, Christ came upon earth, not a twentieth part of the people of the earth know anything of it, and among those who do, the wiser part do not believe it.
Thomas PaineRead
To reason with goverments, as they have existed for ages, is to argue with brutes. It is only from the nations themselves that reforms can be expected
Thomas PaineRead
Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.
Thomas PaineRead
Similar quotes
I think as a whole America is dealing with the issue of homophobia. We got to be really honest about whether we believe in civil rights for all people or not. As Black people we need to remember the moment that we say it's okay to disenfranchise one segment of society, we're opening the door to move backward on ourselves.
Kerry WashingtonRead
If a conservative order is indeed to return, we ought to know the tradition which is attached to it, so that we may rebuild society; if it is not to be restored, still we ought to understand conservative ideas so that we may rake from the ashes what scorched fragments of civilizations escape the conflagration of unchecked will and appetite.
Russell KirkRead
People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust.
E. B. WhiteRead
So long as we use a certain language, all questions that we can ask will have to be formulated in it and will thereby confirm the theory of the universe which is implied in the vocabulary and structure of the language.
Michael PolanyiRead
What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What is the best thing in life? To know God. What in humans gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of himself.
J. I. PackerRead
Fear Allah, for that is fortune; indifference to Allah is misfortune.
UmarRead