Other people are quite dreadful. The only possible society is oneself.
Oscar WildeRead
Can you look forward to the future of our country and imagine any state of things in which, with slavery still existing, we should be assured of permanent peace? I cannot.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the impossibility of achieving lasting peace while injustice, such as slavery, persists in society.
In this quote, Robert Dale Owen argues that true peace cannot be achieved in a society that allows for profound injustices, such as slavery. He suggests that as long as slavery exists, the foundations of peace are fundamentally compromised, and any imagined future that includes this institution must be viewed skeptically. The quote serves as a call to action for social justice and highlights the moral obligation to eradicate oppression for a harmonious society.
Themes
SlaveryPeaceInjusticeFreedomSocial Justice
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech about civil rights, one might include this quote to emphasize the need for justice in the fight for equality.
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