Quotes on Liberalism

But to manipulate men, to propel them toward goals which you-the social reformers-see, but they may not, is to deny their human essence, to treat them as objects without wills of their own, and therefore to degrade them.

In every age its (liberty's) progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man's craving for power, and the poor man's craving for food

Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril.

Liberals seem to assume that, if you don't believe in their particular political solutions, then you don't really care about the people that they claim to want to help.

A liberal is a man or a woman or a child who looks forward to a better day, a more tranquil night, and a bright, infinite future.

He who would do good to another must do it in Minute Particulars: general Good is the plea of the scoundrel, hypocrite, and flatterer, for Art and Science cannot exist but in minutely organized Particulars.

Liberalism and capitalism address themselves to the cool, well-balanced mind. They proceed by strict logic, eliminating any appeal to the emotions. Socialism, on the contrary, works on the emotions, tries to violate logical considerations by rousing a sense of personal interest and to stifle the voice of reason by awakening primitive instincts.

People profess to have certain political positions, but their conservatism or liberalism is really the least interesting thing about them.

It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.

Whenever all men are...hastening to be slaves or tyrants we make Liberalism the prime bogey.

If a conservative is a liberal who's been mugged, a liberal is a conservative who's been arrested.

The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens.

Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people will adopt every fragment of the socialist program.

Personally I prefer a liberal dictator to democratic government lacking liberalism.

Liberty isn't liberalism, arbitrariness, but it's connected; it's conditioned by the great values of love and solidarity and in general by the good.

The idea of liberalism has to be recreated. In the course of time it has lost so much of its clarity and attraction that it first has to rise like a new dawn in front of the people.

When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.

In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.

One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

Here is the prime condition of success: Concentrate your energy, thought and capital exclusively upon the business in which you are engaged. Having begun on one line, resolve to fight it out on that line, to lead in it, adopt every improvement, have the best machinery, and know the most about it.