I go on the principle that a public debt is a public curse and in a republican government more than in any other.
James MadisonRead
The strongest passions and most dangerous weaknesses of the human breast; ambition, avarice, vanity, the honorable or venal love of fame, are all in conspiracy against the desire and duty of peace.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Human desires such as ambition and vanity can often conflict with our innate duty to pursue peace.
In this quote, James Madison highlights the internal struggles individuals face when their powerful passions and weaknesses, like ambition and vanity, conspire against the fundamental human desire for peace. He suggests that these driving forces can lead to conflict and turmoil, undermining the peaceful existence that people inherently seek. Madison's insight reflects on the complexities of human nature and the challenges faced in prioritizing peace over personal desires and societal pressures.
Themes
AmbitionPeaceHuman NatureConflictWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
During a leadership seminar discussing the balance between ambition and peace.
More from James Madison
All quotes →No man is allowed to be a judge in his own cause; because his interest would certainly bias his judgment, and, not improbably, corrupt his integrity. With equal, nay with greater reason, a body of men are unfit to be both judges and parties at the same time.
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I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations; but, on a candid examination of history, we shall find that turbulence, violence, and abuse of power, by the majority trampling on the rights of the minority, have produced factions and commotions, which, in republics, have, more frequently than any other cause, produced despotism.
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The advice nearest to my heart and deepest in my convictions is that the Union of the States be cherished and perpetuated.
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Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.
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The magnitude of this evil among us is so deeply felt, and so universally acknowledged, that no merit could be greater than that of devising a satisfactory remedy for it.
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