Make men wise, and by that very operation you make them free. Civil liberty follows as a consequence of this; no usurped power can stand against the artillery of opinion.
William GodwinRead
The evils that arise to us from the structure of the material universe are neither trivial nor few, yet the history of political society sufficiently shows that man is, of all other beings, the most formidable enemy to man.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Man's greatest enemy is often himself, as societal structures can amplify inherent human conflicts.
This quote by William Godwin highlights the paradox of human existence, where the greatest threats to humanity stem not from external forces but from the actions and conflicts created by people themselves. It suggests that while the material universe presents its challenges, it is human nature and political society that pose more significant threats through conflict, betrayal, and competition. The historical narrative reveals how human beings can undermine one another, making them the most formidable adversary to their own survival and well-being.
Themes
Human NatureConflictSocietyPoliticsSelf-Sabotage
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a debate on the impact of human actions on society.
More from William Godwin
All quotes βIt is one of the oldest maxims of moral prudence: Do not, by aspiring to what is impracticable, lose the opportunity of doing the good you can effect!
William GodwinRead
When the calamity we feared is already arrived, or when the expectation of it is so certain as to shut out hope, there seems to be a principle within us by which we look with misanthropic composure on the state to which we are reduced, and the heart sullenly contracts and accommodates itself to what it most abhorred.
William GodwinRead
He has no right to his life when his duty calls him to resign it. Other men are bound... to deprive him of life or liberty, if that should appear in any case to be indispensably necessary to prevent a greater evil.
William GodwinRead
What are gold and jewels and precious utensils? Mere dross and dirt. The human face and the human heart, reciprocations of kindness and love, and all the nameless sympathies of our nature - these are the only objects worth being attached to.
William GodwinRead
Extraordinary circumstances often bring along with them extraordinary strength. No man knows, till the experiment, what he is capable of effecting.
William GodwinRead
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