A great empire and little minds go ill together.
Edmund BurkeRead
Learning will be cast into the mire and trodden down under the hoofs of a swinish multitude.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that knowledge and learning can be disregarded and harmed by the uneducated masses.
Edmund Burke's quote reflects the idea that, when a large group of people prioritize ignorance or base desires over education, the value of learning can be diminished and oppressed. It serves as a warning against the dangers of populism and the potential disregard for intellectual pursuits in favor of immediate gratification or lesser values.
Themes
LearningEducationIgnoranceKnowledgePopulism
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of education, one might say, 'As Edmund Burke warned, learning will be cast into the mire by the uneducated masses.'
More from Edmund Burke
All quotes βTo read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.
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Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver.
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The hottest fires in hell are reserved for those who remain neutral in times of moral crisis.
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Society can overlook murder, adultery or swindling; it never forgives preaching of a new gospel.
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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