Slavery discourages arts and manufacturing ...[and] every master of slaves is born a petty tyrant.
George MasonRead
Government is, or ought to be instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation, or community... when any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, inalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Governments exist to serve the people, and they have the right to change or abolish inadequate governments.
George Mason emphasizes that the primary purpose of government is to ensure the welfare, safety, and benefit of its citizens. If a government fails to fulfill these responsibilities, the people have the inherent right to reform or dismantle it in order to create a system that promotes the common good, reflecting the principles of democracy and public accountability.
Themes
GovernmentBenefitPeopleRightsChangeCommon Good
In practice
Example use cases
During a political rally, to inspire citizens to take action against unjust governance.
More from George Mason
All quotes βEvery society, all government, and every kind of civil compact therefore, is or ought to be, calculated for the general good and safety of the community.
George MasonRead
There is a Passion natural to the Mind of man, especially a free Man, which renders him impatient of Restraint.
George MasonRead
As much as I value an union of all the states, I would not admit the southern states into the union, unless they agreed to the discontinuance of this disgraceful trade, because it would bring weakness and not strength to the union.
George MasonRead
All men are by nature born equally free and independent.
George MasonRead
To disarm the people... was the best and most effectual way to enslave them.
George MasonRead
Similar quotes
It's not enough to say that the Olympics is an athletic contest outside of politics, because it's not. The Chinese clearly are using the Olympics to recreate how they are viewed in the world and how they view themselves.
Richard GereRead
Politics is not predictions and politics is not observations. Politics is what we do. Politics is what we do, politics is what we create, by what we work for, by what we hope for and what we dare to imagine.
Paul WellstoneRead
If you don't have 30 years to devote to social policy, don't get involved.
Daniel Patrick MoynihanRead
Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas.
Kurt VonnegutRead
Democracy may not prove in the long run to be as efficient as other forms of government, but it has one saving grace: it allows us to know and say that it isn't.
Bill MoyersRead
Democracy is, in essence, a form of non-violent conflict management. If war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention.
Kofi AnnanRead