Man, in spite of his fatal degradation, bears always the evident marks of his divine origin, in that every universal belief is always more or less true.
Joseph De MaistreRead
Government is a true religion: it has its dogmas, its mysteries, its priests. To submit it to the individual discussion is to destroy it; it is given life only through the national mind, that is to say, by political faith, which is a creed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that government operates like a religion, relying on collective belief and faith rather than individual critique.
Joseph De Maistre's quote posits that government functions similarly to a religious institution, with its own set of beliefs, rituals, and authorities. By comparing government to a religion, he emphasizes the importance of collective faith and the acceptance of its dogmas without questioning them. The idea that individual discussions and critiques could undermine the government suggests that stability in governance is rooted in the shared belief of the populace, reinforcing the notion that political faith operates not on rational discourse, but on deeply held convictions.
Themes
GovernmentFaithBeliefPoliticsPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about the role of government, one might quote this to illustrate the importance of collective belief in governance.
More from Joseph De Maistre
All quotes →Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not. People complain of the despotism of princes; they ought to complain of the despotism of man.
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A constitution that is made for all nations is made for none.
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False opinions are like false money, struck first of all by guilty men and thereafter circulated by honest people who perpetuate the crime without knowing what they are doing.
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Reason speaks in words alone, but love has a song.
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Man in harmony with his Creator is sublime, and his action is creative; equally, once he separates himself from God and acts alone, he does not cease to be powerful, since this is the privilege of his nature, but his acts are negative and lead only to destruction.
Joseph De MaistreRead
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