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Common Quotes

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Common Quotes

“Look around, and you see everywhere the exertions and acts of individuals restricted, regulated, or promoted, on the principle of the common welfare.”

Looks Individual Common Principles Welfare Exertion

Book:Schriften, Reden, Briefe: Grundlinien einer politischen Ökonomie

Source: Schriften, Reden, Briefe: Grundlinien einer politischen Ökonomie

“The art of governing consists simply of being honest, exercising common sense, following principle, and doing what is right and just.”

Art Common Principles Honest Exercise Following Common Sense Being Honest Governing

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections against the universality of Christ's death are easily solved; neither is it needful to recur to the ministry of angels, and those other miraculous means which they say God useth to manifest the doctrine and history of Christ's passion unto such, who, living in the places of the world where the outward preaching of the Gospel is unknown, have well improved the first and common grace.”

World Firsts Wells Mean Passion Christ Common Principles Grace Angel Doctrine Manifest Ministry Preaching Hypothesis Miraculous Objections Universality

Book:An Apology for the Christian Divinity: As the Sameis Held Forth and Preached by the People Called, in Scorm Quakers, Being a Full Explanation and Vindication of Their Principles and Doctrines

Source: An Apology for the Christian Divinity: As the Sameis Held Forth and Preached by the People Called, in Scorm Quakers, Being a Full Explanation and Vindication of Their Principles and Doctrines

“The whole contains nothing which is not or its advantage; and all natures indeed have this common principle, but the nature of the universe has this principle besides, that it cannot be compelled even by any external cause to generate anything harmful to itself.”

Whole Universe Causes Common Principles Advantage Compelled

Book:Meditations

Source: Meditations

“I gave my decisions on the principles of common justice and honesty between man and man, and relied on natural born sense, and not on law, learning to guide me; for I had never read a page in a law book in all my life.”

Men Book Law Born Natural Justice Decision Common Principles Honesty Pages Guides Guide Me Law Books

Book:A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, of the State of Tennessee

Source: A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett, of the State of Tennessee

“In this world laws are written for the lofty aim of "the common good" and then acted out in life on the basis of the common greed. In this world irrationality clings to man like his shadow so that the right things get done for the wrong reasons - afterwards, we dredge up the right reasons for justification. It is a world not of angels but of angles, where men speak of moral principles but act on power principles; a world where we are always moral and our enemies always immoral; a world where "reconciliation" means that when one side gets the power and the other side gets reconciled to it.”

“America can restore its strengths as the world-respected land of opportunity by returning to open-society principles. An open society invests in people and new ideas, rewards talent and hard work, values dialogue and learns from dissent, operates to high standards with transparent information, looks for common ground, sees problems as opportunities for creative change, and encourages those who are fortunate to help others get the same chance, because service is the highest ideal. With such standards in mind, America the Beautiful can return to its admired role as America the Principled.”

Source: America the Principled: 6 Opportunities for Becoming a Can-Do Nation Once Again

“It is a strange irony that the principles of science should seem to deny the necessary conviction of common sense.”

Should Seems Common Principles Strange Conviction Deny Common Sense Irony

Author:Lawrence Joseph Henderson

“Science has been effective at furthering our understanding of nature because the scientific ethos is based on three key principles: (1) follow the evidence wherever it leads; (2) if one has a theory, one needs to be willing to try to prove it wrong as much as one tries to prove that it is right; (3) the ultimate arbiter of truth is experiment, not the comfort one derives from one's a priori beliefs, nor the beauty or elegance one ascribes to one's theoretical models.”

Source: A Universe From Nothing

“Bion insisted on the principle that "The property of friends is common."”

Common Principles Property

Author:Bion of Borysthenes

“This is the very heart of true morality--not to struggle, not to fight with any weapons, for one's self alone--but to struggle and to fight for the common interest, to wield the power of brain and good right arm if need be for one's family, for the ordered community of life, for the state, for moral principles, humanity, and the common good.”

Ifs Needs Heart Self States Humanity Fighting Interest Community Common Brain Moral Principles Struggle Arms Morality Weapons Common Good Moral Principles Common Interests

Author:Joseph Alexander Leighton

“The term "Socialism" becomes a common label for the various theories of attack upon the principle of property, the various policies of communal control at the expense of the family and individual freedom.”

Wisdom Politics Individual Term Common Principles Economy Policy Theory Property Various Socialism Labels Liberalism Expenses Individual Freedom

Book:The Crisis Of Civilization

Source: The Crisis Of Civilization

“With reason, then, the common opinion of mankind, little affected by the few dissentients who have contended for the opposite view, has found in the careful study of nature, and in the laws of nature, the foundations of the division of property, and the practice of all ages has consecrated the principle of private ownership, as being pre-eminently in conformity with human nature, and as conducing in the most unmistakable manner to the peace and tranquility of human existence.”

“To discover the true principles of morality, men have no need of theology, of revelation, or of gods. They need but common sense. They have only to look within themselves, to reflect upon their own nature, to consult their obvious interests, to consider the object of society and of each of the members who compose it, and they will easily understand that virtue is an advantage, and that vice is an injury to beings of the species.”

Men Needs Looks Interest Common Principles Virtue Atheism Objects Morality Members Advantage Species Vices Obvious Theology Common Sense Revelations Injury

Author:Jean Meslier

“Demagoguery enters at the moment when, for want of a common denominator, the principle of equality degenerates into the principle of identity.”

Want Moments Common Principles Atheism Identity Positive Atheism Degenerates Common Denominator Demagoguery

Author:Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“What I am endeavoring to do is simply speak the truth, speak common-sense values, free market principles and the Constitution. For every question, the Constitution is my touchstone.”

Values Speak Common Principles Constitution Common Sense Free Market Speak The Truth Touchstones

Author:Ted Cruz

“People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders. This is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an imperialism of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd.”

People Men World Wells Home Fighting Energy Common Known Leader Principles Teacher Capitalism Importance Engaged Well Known Imperialism Quarrels Herds Dividing Federal Reserve

Author:J. P. Morgan

“Plain experience and common sense inform us that no abstract Person can have made us as we are without also wishing to delete us and start over (Gen. 8:21; Zeph. 1:2). Therefore, the existence of cruel and arbitrary nature, together with the universality of human sin, prevents us from beginning the theological enterprise with any concept of God that is distinct from revelation. All theologies of a cosmic harmonic principle shipwreck on the truths of tragedy, catastrophe, and injustice.”

“A great estate is a great disadvantage to those who do not know how to use it, for nothing is more common than to see wealthy persons live scandalously and miserably; riches do them no service in order to virtue and happiness; therefore 'tis precept and principle, not an estate, that makes a man good for something.”

Knows Men Persons Use Order Common Principles Know How Virtue Riches Wealthy Estates Disadvantages Virtue And Happiness

Author:Marcus Aurelius

“I don't really have a system or set of principles. It's kind of common sense mixed up with instinct.”

Kind Common Principles Instinct Common Sense

Author:Tom Stoppard

“it is impossible for any mind of common honesty not to be revolted by the contradictions in their principles and practice. They inveigh against the governments of Europe, because, as they say, they favor the powerful and oppress the weak. ... [yet] you will see them with one hand hoisting the cap of liberty, and with the other flogging their slaves. You will see them one hour lecturing their mob on the indefeasible rights of man, and the next driving from their homes the children of the soil, whom they have bound themselves to protect by the most solemn treaties.”

“In ancient times, any man rising up above the common people tried to shape his life according to his principles; it is no longer like than now; it is (because) for the ancients, moral was a principle of inner life, whereas in our days, most of the time one is content to adhere to an official moral, that we recognize in theory, but that one does not care to put into practice.”

People Men Doe Care Common Moral Principles Practice Theory Shapes Ancient Officials Rising Inner Life Ancient Times Rising Up

Author:African Spir

“The [National Socialist] Party...is convinced that our nation can achieve permanent health only from within on the basis of the principle: The common interest before self-interest.”

Self Nations Interest Party Common Principles Achieve Bases Convinced Permanent Socialist Self Interest Common Interests Socialist Party

Author:Adolf Hitler

“The idea of direct action against the evil that you want to overcome is a kind of common denominator for anarchist ideas and anarchist movements. I think one of the most important principles of anarchism is that you cannot separate means and ends. Anarchism requires means and ends to be in line with one another. I think this is in fact one of the distinguishing characteristics of anarchism.”

Thinking Want Kind Mean Important Ideas Ends Facts Action Evil Lines Common Principles Movement Direct Overcoming Characteristics Anarchism Anarchist Common Denominator Direct Action

Author:Howard Zinn

“[Middleton] contended that the religious leaders of the fourth century had admitted, eulogised, and habitually acted upon principles that were diametrically opposed, not simply to the aspirations of a transcendent sanctity, but to the dictates of the most common honesty. He showed that they had applauded falsehood, that they had practised the most wholesale forgery, that they had habitually and grossly falsified history, that they had adopted to the fullest extent the system of pious frauds, and that they continually employed them to stimulate the devotion of the people.”

Source: History of the rise and influence of the spirit of rationalism in Europe

“Governments which have a regard to the common interest are constituted in accordance with strict principles of justice, and are therefore true forms; but those which regard only the interest of the rulers are all defective and perverted forms, for they are despotic, whereas a state is a community of freemen.”

States Government Form Interest Community Justice Common Principles Regard Tyrants Rulers Strict Defective Freeman Common Interests

Book:Aristotle's Politics: Writings from the Complete Works: Politics, Economics, Constitution of Athens

Source: Aristotle's Politics: Writings from the Complete Works: Politics, Economics, Constitution of Athens

“We assume a common sense as the necessary condition of the universal communicability of our knowledge, which is presupposed in every logic and every principle of knowledge that is not one of skepticism.”

Common Principles Knowledge Conditions Logic Universal Assuming Common Sense Skepticism

Author:Immanuel Kant

“The great subverter of Pyrrhonism or the excessive principles of scepticism is action, and employment, and the occupations of common life.”

Action Common Principles Employment Occupation Skepticism Scepticism Common Life

Book:Essays and Treatises on Philosophical Subjects

Source: Essays and Treatises on Philosophical Subjects

“Do you think that it is possible to have a mere taste of commonness? Either one hates it or makes common cause with it.”

Thinking Hate Literature Causes Common Principles Taste Mere

Author:Franz Grillparzer

“"Who are we to say what is right and what is wrong?" is the common refrain under the doctrine of pure pluralism. Clearly, society cannot long survive if this principle is pushed to its logical conclusion and everyone is free to write his own laws.”

Ifs Writing Long Christian Law Religious Common Principles Pure Doctrine Conclusion Logical Refrain Pluralism

Book:Faith & Freedom: The Christian Roots of American Liberty

Source: Faith & Freedom: The Christian Roots of American Liberty

“A small knowledge of human nature will convince us, that, with far the greatest part of mankind, interest is the governing principle... Few men are capable of making a continual sacrifice of all views of private interest, or advantage, to the common good. It is vain to exclaim against the depravity of human nature on this account; the fact is so, the experience of every age and nation has proved it and we must in a great measure, change the constitution of man, before we can make it otherwise. No institution, not built on the presumptive truth of these maxims can succeed.”

“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.”

Source: The Writings of Samuel Adams: 1778-1802

“Law grows, and though the principles of law remain unchanged, yet (and it is one of the advantages of the common law) their application is to be changed with the changing circumstances of the times. Some persons may call this retrogression, I call it progression of human opinion.”

Humans May Persons Law Grows Common Opinion Principles Changed Circumstances Advantage Application Progression Common Law

Author:Samuel Taylor Coleridge

“Above all I hope that the education of the common people will be attended to so they won't forget the basic principles of freedom.”

People Forget Common Principles Basic Principles

Author:Thomas Jefferson

“Tracing the progress of mankind in the ascending path of civilization, and moral and intellectual culture, our fathers found that the divine ordinance of government, in every stage of the ascent, was adjustable on principles of common reason to the actual condition of a people, and always had for its objects, in the benevolent councils of the divine wisdom, the happiness, the expansion, the security, the elevation of society, and the redemption of man. They sought in vain for any title of authority of man over man, except of superior capacity and higher morality.”

“The G7 and former G8 group has always viewed itself as a community of values, the annexation of Crimea, which is a blatant violation of the principles of international law, and the events in eastern Ukraine are serious violations of these common values.”

Law Values Community Common Principles Groups Events Serious International Former Eastern Violation Ukraine International Law Crimea Annexation

Author:Angela Merkel

“I have made it a principle to give advice that does not serve my personal interest but rather the common interests.”

Giving Doe Made Interest Common Principles Advice Made It Common Interests Personal Interest

Author:George Soros

“People think of art and science as being fundamentally opposed to each other, because art is about celebrating individual human creativity, and science is about discovering general principles, not about individual people. But in fact, the two have a lot in common, and the creative spirit is similar in both.”

People Thinking Humans Art Two Facts Spirit Individual Common Principles Creativity Creative Art Is Celebrate Discovering Art And Science Creative Spirit

Author:Vilayanur S. Ramachandran

“To put it another way, I believe that purpose and principle, clearly understood and articulated, and commonly shared, are the genetic code of any healthy organization. To the degree that you hold purpose and principles in common among you, you can dispense with command and control. People will know how to behave in accordance with them, and they'll do it in thousands of unimaginable, creative ways. The organization will become a vital, living set of beliefs.”

“A constitution founded on these principles introduces knowledge among the people, and inspires them with a conscious dignity becoming freemen; a general emulation takes place, which causes good humor, sociability, good manners, and good morals to be general. That elevation of sentiment inspired by such a government, makes the common people brave and enterprising. That ambition which is inspired by it makes them sober, industrious, and frugal.”

Source: The Works of John Adams Vol. 4: Novanglus, Thoughts on Government, Defence of the Constitution I

“The universal order and the personal order are nothing but different expressions and manifestations of a common underlying principle.”

Different Order Common Principles Expression Universal Manifestation Different Expressions

Author:Marcus Aurelius

“True gentleness is founded on a sense of what we owe to him who made us and to the common nature which we all share. It arises from reflection on our own failings and wants, and from just views of the condition and duty of man. It is native feeling heightened and improved by principle.”

Men Want Made Feelings Views Common Principles Failing Share Conditions Duty Reflection Arise Native Gentleness

Book:Sermons. ...: To which is Prefixed a Short Account of the Life and Character of the Author

Source: Sermons. ...: To which is Prefixed a Short Account of the Life and Character of the Author