Only the fairy tale equates changelessness with happiness...Permanence means paralysis and death. Only, in movement, with all its pain, is life.
Jacob BurckhardtRead
The seventeenth century is everywhere a time in which the state's power over everything individual increases, whether that power be in absolutist hands or may be considered the result of a contract, etc. People begin to dispute the sacred right of the individual ruler or authority without being aware that at the same time they are playing into the hands of a colossal state power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the increasing power of the state over individuals and the paradox of challenging authority while inadvertently strengthening the state.
Jacob Burckhardt's quote analyzes the dynamics of state power during the seventeenth century, highlighting a critical awareness of how people's disputes against individual rulers or authorities often led to a greater consolidation of state power. It suggests that while individuals might seek to challenge oppressive authorities, they may not realize that this very act could empower the state as a whole, leading to a nuanced understanding of freedom and authority.
Themes
State PowerIndividual RightsAuthoritySeventeenth CenturyPolitics
In practice
Example use cases
A political science lecture discussing the evolution of state power.
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