I always find it interesting to read quotes from famous people. The other day, a classmate of mine quoted John Adams saying that “[We have] a government of law, and not of men.” in order to explain the idea of rule of law and not arbitrary rule of men. Although I do have qualms with that proposition, I like the quote and the ideal it embodies. So I went to look at some additional John Adams quotes:
Fear is the foundation of most governments.
While all other sciences have advanced, that of government is at a standstill – little better understood, little better practiced now than three or four thousand years ago.
As a former student of political science, these were the two quotes about government that made me pause the longest.
In the first place, he talks about “fear” being the foundation or the basis of “most governments.” He makes a good point. Out of all the justifications for the existence of government, the idea that without government there would be chaos is a very strong one. I presume that is why we even call people who believe in the abolition of government, “anarchists.” It echoes the belief of Thomas Hobbes that without a “Leviathan” or over-arching controlling force, that we can call government, men would be in a state of nature and a state of war, where because of no fear of punishment by the government, passions would run wild and in excess. I think post-Saddam Iraq is a good example.
The second quote is equally persuasive. For anyone who has read about Ancient Egyptian, Grecian, or Roman history, the similarities to our present context are striking. Bureaucracies, conspiracies, wars, diplomacy, internal struggles for power, sovereignty, security, and notions of democracy abound very much in our present context. I find it most remarkable that when I first read Machiavelli’s The Prince, I felt as if it was a primer to (heartless and unethical) political success in our present, modern world.
Just my thoughts.
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