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Quote by Moses Finley

“Ideal goals are a menace in themselves, as much in more modern philosophers as in Plato.”

Author

Moses Finley was an influential historian known for his profound research on the economic, social, and political structures of ancient Greece and Rome. His unique approach to history, focusing on economic analysis, provided new insights into the ancient world. more

“We must consider not only why the classical theory of democracy appears to be in contradiction with the observed practice, but also why the many different responses to this observation, though mutually incompatible, all share the belief that democracy is the best form of political organization.”

Different Form Political Belief Practice Democracy Share Theory Organization Response Observation Contradiction

Author:Moses Finley

“Political leaders, lacking documents that could be kept secret (apart from the occasional exception), lacking media they could control, were of necessity brought into a direct and immediate relationship with their constituents, and therefore under more and direct and immediate control.”

Political Secret Leader Media Direct Exception Documents Lacking Occasional Constituents Political Leaders Kept Secrets

Author:Moses Finley

“Faction is the greatest evil and the most common danger. "Faction" is the conventional English translation of the Greek stasis, one of the most remarkable words to be found in any language.”

Evil Found Language Common Danger Greek Remarkable Conventional Translations Factions Stasis

Author:Moses Finley

“If I had to choose one which best characterized the condition of being a political leader in Athens, the word would be "tension".”

Ifs Would Be Political Leader Conditions Tension Political Leaders Athens

Author:Moses Finley