His face is livid, gaunt his whole body, his breath is green with gall; his tongue drips poison.
John Quincy AdamsRead
What is the right of the huntsman to the forest of a thousand miles over which he has accidentally ranged in quest of prey? Shall the fields and vallies, which a beneficent God has formed to teem with the life of innumerable multitudes, be condemned to everlasting barrenness?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote questions the entitlement of individuals to natural resources without responsibility for their stewardship.
John Quincy Adams reflects on the moral implications of how humans interact with nature, particularly highlighting the responsibility we have towards the environment. He challenges the notion of ownership over land and resources, suggesting that just because one has traversed and hunted in a vast area, it does not justify the exploitation of that land at the expense of its ecological integrity and the diverse life it supports.
Themes
NatureResponsibilityStewardshipEnvironmentConservation
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about environmental protection, this quote can highlight the importance of responsible resource use.
More from John Quincy Adams
All quotes →Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.
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It is among the evils of slavery that it taints the very sources of moral principle. It establishes false estimates of virtue and vice: for what can be more false and heartless than this doctrine which makes the first and holiest rights of humanity to depend upon the color of the skin?
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The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
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I have no predilection for unpopularity as such, but I hold it much preferable to the popularity of a day, which perishes with the transient topic upon which it is grounded.
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According to the Stoics, all vice was resolvable into folly: according to the Christian principle, it is all the effect of weakness.
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