In every free and deliberating society, there must, from the nature of man, be opposite parties, and violent dissensions and discords; and one of these, for the most part, must prevail over the other for a longer or shorter time.
Interpretation
Conflict is an inherent aspect of society, with opposing forces often vying for dominance.
This quote by Thomas Jefferson reflects on the fundamental nature of human society, suggesting that differing opinions and conflicts are unavoidable. In any society that cherishes freedom and deliberation, opposing parties will emerge, leading to periods of discord where one side may temporarily overpower the other. This highlights the complexity of governance and human interaction, indicating that such struggles for power are essential to the dynamics of a healthy society.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of political discourse in a democratic society.
The firmness with which the (American) people have withstood the... abuses of the press, the discernment they have manifested between truth and falsehood, show that they may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false and to form a correct judgment between them.
I, place economy among the first & most important republican virtues, & public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared
We must make our choice between economy and liberty or confusion and servitude...If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and comforts, in our labor and in our amusements...if we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy.
Very many and very meritorious were the worthy patriots who assisted in bringing back our government to its republican tack. To preserve it in that, will require unremitting vigilance.
A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
Our jovial star reigned at his birth.
Plato used the dialogue format because the exchange of views, the posing and answering of questions, showed that understanding is a living, dynamic process. He distrusted writing because the settled character of the written word makes it look as if truth can be fixed and made to stand still. It is worth remembering that this greatest advocate of the objective reality of truth also believed that our access to that truth was sustained in reasoned discussion.
Keats mourned that the rainbow, which as a boy had been for him a magic thing, had lost its glory because the physicists had found it resulted merely from the refraction of the sunlight by the raindrops. Yet knowledge of its causation could not spoil the rainbow for me. I am sure that it is not given to man to be omniscient. There will always be something left to know, something to excite the imagination of the poet and those attuned to the great world in which they live (p. 64)
Trust and start walking. We are not alone in the dark, our path will unfold as we move.
If merely 'feeling good' could decide, drunkenness would be the supremely valid human experience.
While some men see ordinary happenings, others see divine light and guidance.
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