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A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles QUOTES

A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles QUOTES

1 " Clearly, only very unequal intellectual and moral standing could justify having equality imposed, whether the people want it or not, as Dworkin suggests, and only very unequal power would make it possible. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

2 " I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

3 " There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

4 " Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

5 " practically every individual has some advantage over all others because he possesses unique information of which beneficial use might be made, but of which use can be made only if the decisions depending on it are left to him or are made with his active cooperation. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

6 " The most dangerous state in the growth of civilization may well be that in which man has come to regard all these beliefs as superstitions and refuses to accept or to submit to anything which he does not rationally understand. The rationalist whose reason is not sufficient to teach him those limitations of the power of conscious reason, and who despises all the institutions and customs which have not been consciously designed, would thus become the destroyer of the civilization built upon them.77 "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

7 " Alexander Hamilton in The Federalist Papers: It is the lot of all human institutions, even those of the most perfect kind, to have defects as well as excellencies—ill as well as good propensities. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

8 " His was the unconstrained vision of human nature, in which man was capable of directly feeling other people’s needs as more important than his own, and therefore of consistently acting impartially, even when his own interests or those of his family were involved. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

9 " Visions are the foundations on which theories are built. The final structure depends not only on the foundation, but also on how carefully and consistently the framework of theory is constructed and how well buttressed it is with hard facts. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles

10 " The most dangerous state in the growth of civilization may well be that in which man has come to regard all these beliefs as superstitions and refuses to accept or to submit to anything which he does not rationally understand. The rationalist whose reason is not sufficient to teach him those limitations of the power of conscious reason, and who despises all the institutions and customs which have not been consciously designed, would thus become the destroyer of the civilization built upon them.77 The clash over judicial activism reflects a much more general clash over the best way to contribute to the social good. "

― Thomas Sowell , A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles