What is necessary for the pubic realm is to shield it from the private interests which have intruded upon it in the most brutal and aggressive form.
HannahRead
The vicarious responsibility for things we have not done, this taking upon ourselves the consequences for things we are entirely innocent of, is the price we pay for the fact that we live our lives not by ourselves but among our fellow men, and that the faculty of action, which, after all, is the political faculty par excellence, can be actualized only as one of the many and manifold forces of human community.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We bear the consequences of others' actions because we live in a community.
This quote reflects on the idea that in a society, individuals share a collective responsibility for the actions and consequences of their peers, even for those actions in which they had no part. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of human lives and the political responsibility that comes with engaging in a community where our actions and the actions of others are entwined.
Themes
ResponsibilityCommunityInnocenceConsequencesAction
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethical leadership, this quote can be used to highlight the responsibility leaders have towards their team.
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