One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be read more

One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.

War is a ritual, a deadly ritual, not the result of aggressive self-assertion, but of self-transcending identification. Without loyalty to read more

War is a ritual, a deadly ritual, not the result of aggressive self-assertion, but of self-transcending identification. Without loyalty to tribe, church, flag or ideal, there would be no wars.

I don't know exactly what democracy is. But we need more of it.

I don't know exactly what democracy is. But we need more of it.

Freedom means freedom from forces and circumstances which would turn man into a thing, which would impose on man the read more

Freedom means freedom from forces and circumstances which would turn man into a thing, which would impose on man the passivity and predictability of matter. By this test, absolute power is the manifestation most inimical to human uniqueness. Absolute power wants to turn people into malleable clay.

A race of altruists is necessarily a race of slaves. A race of free men is necessarily a race of read more

A race of altruists is necessarily a race of slaves. A race of free men is necessarily a race of egoists.

It is all very well to talk about being the captain of your soul. It is hard, and only a read more

It is all very well to talk about being the captain of your soul. It is hard, and only a few heroes, saints, and geniuses have been the captains of their souls for any extended period of their lives. Most men, after a little freedom, have preferred authority with the consoling assurances and the economy of effort which it brings.

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to read more

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule--and both commonly succeed, and are right.

What kind of world is this that can send machines to Mars and does nothing to stop the killing of read more

What kind of world is this that can send machines to Mars and does nothing to stop the killing of a human being?

Taking the State wherever found, striking into its history at any point, one sees no way to differentiate the activities read more

Taking the State wherever found, striking into its history at any point, one sees no way to differentiate the activities of its founders, administrators and beneficiaries from those of a professional-criminal class.