Politics quotes
1.9K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
Explore further
Browse quotes that often appear alongside politics — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
Quote collection
Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.
"Truth and reason are eternal. They have prevailed. And they will eternally prevail; however, in times and places they may be overborne for a while by violence, military, civil, or ecclesiastical."
"Anarchy [is] necessarily consequent to inefficiency."
"Error indeed has often prevailed by the assistance of power or force. Truth is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error."
"He alone who walks strict and upright, and who, in matters of opinion, will be contented that others should be as free as himself and acquiesce when his opinion is freely overruled, will attain his object in the end."
"We often repent of what we have said, but never, never, of that which we have not."
"With nations as with individuals our interests soundly calculated will ever be found inseparable from our moral duties."
"No man has done everything he can who has done only his best."
"...is the spirit of the people an infallible, a permanent reliance? ...the spirit of the times may alter, will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt, our people careless."
"I could say much about politics, our only entertainment here, but you would not care a fig about that."
"I am not myself apt to be alarmed at innovations recommended by reason. That dread belongs to those whose interests or prejudices shrink from the advance of truth and science."
"It will be said that great societies cannot exist without government."
"The only orthodox object of the institution of government is to secure the greatest degree of happiness possible to the general mass of those associated under it."
"The first object of human association [is] the full improvement of their condition."
"I have learned to be less confident in the conclusions of human reason, and give more credit to the honesty of contrary opinions."
"Every man has a commission to admonish, exhort, convince another of error."
"I see the necessity of sacrificing our opinions sometimes to the opinions of others for the sake of harmony."
"We are completely saddled and bridled, and... the bank is so firmly mounted on us that we must go where it will guide."
"I am conscious that an equal division of property is impracticable, but the consequences of this enormous inequality producing so much misery to the bulk of mankind, legislators cannot invent too many devices for subdividing property."
"No man will ever carry out of the Presidency the reputation which carried him into it."
"Niggaz need guns, too."
