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Quote by Sidney Hook

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The Hero in History: A Study in Limitation and Possibility

This book delves into the nature of heroes throughout history, examining their constraints and the potential they embody. more

Author

Sidney Hook
Sidney Hook

Sidney Hook was an American philosopher known for his contributions to pragmatism and critical theory. He was a leading figure in the philosophy of education and political philosophy, and his work had a significant impact on American intellectual life in the mid-20th century. more

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“To lay taxes to provide for the general welfare of the United States, that is to say, 'to lay taxes for the purpose of providing for the general welfare.' For the laying of taxes is the power, and the general welfare the purpose for which the power is to be exercised. They are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please; but only to pay the debts or provide for the welfare of the Union.”

“Protection, therefore, against the tyranny of the magistrate is not enough; there needs protection against the tyranny of the prevailing opinion and feeling, against the tendency of society to impose, by other means than civil penalties, its own ideas and practices as rules of conduct on those who dissent from them.”

“The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom. The witch-hunt was not, however, a mere repression. It was also, and as importantly, a long overdue opportunity for everyone so inclined to express publicly his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims.”

“The conquer'd, also, and enslaved by war, Shall, with their freedom lost, all virtue lose.”

“Democracy is talking itself to death. The people do not know what they want; they do not know what is the best for them. There is too much foolishness, too much lost motion. I have stopped the talk and the nonsense. I am a man of action. Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy. You in America will see that some day.”