Under the rules of a society that cannot distinguish between profit and profiteering, between money defined as necessity and money defined as luxury, murder is occasionally obligatory and always permissible.
Lewis H. LaphamRead
Of what does politics consist except the making of imperfect decisions, many of them unjust and quite a few of them deadly?
Interpretation
What this quote means
Politics often involves making flawed decisions that can have significant negative consequences.
In this quote, Lewis H. Lapham emphasizes the inherent difficulties and moral complexities involved in political decision-making. He suggests that politics is characterized by the necessity to make choices that, despite being imperfect and sometimes unjust, must be made to navigate the complexities of governance and society. The acknowledgment of these flawed decisions highlights the weight of responsibility that leaders carry and the potential ramifications that such choices can have on people's lives.
Themes
PoliticsDecisionsImperfectUnjustConsequences
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on political ethics, one might use this quote to illustrate the challenges leaders face in decision-making.
More from Lewis H. Lapham
All quotes βA society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it.
Lewis H. LaphamRead
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