QuoteProject
The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased.
Alexander Hamilton
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Human rights are inherent and cannot be found in old documents; they are part of our nature.

This quote expresses the idea that the fundamental rights of humanity are not merely historical constructs that can be found in documents or records. Instead, these rights are intrinsic to human nature itself, imbued by a higher power, and are therefore eternal and unremovable. Hamilton emphasizes the divine and natural origins of human rights, suggesting that they are universal and should be recognized by all societies.

Themes

Human RightsNatureDivinityInherentEternal

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech advocating for civil rights, one could quote Hamilton to highlight that rights are not granted but are inherent to all individuals.

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