John D. Rockefeller Quotes


Every right implies a responsibility; Every opportunity, an obligation, Every possession, a duty.


Citations

Rockefeller, John D., Jr. "I Believe." Address to the United Service Organizations, 8 July 1941. Published in The Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 1941.

Related Quotes

This quotation is classic in that it illustrates a fundamental difference between a political and religious view of rights. Politically a citizen is entitled to rights with no requirement or condition of responsibility. Politically, we may desire and applaud or even reward responsible behavior, but we may not condition the rights on someone’s version of responsible use of the rights. Indeed, the real test is if people have rights who are generally thought to be irresponsible. See {633640} .


See Charles James Fox, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, Grover Cleveland, Jeremy Bentham, George Mason, and John Milton for other expressions of this idea. 1st Earl of Beaconsfield


John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
  • Born: July 8, 1839
  • Died: May 23, 1937
  • Nationality: American
  • Profession: Businessman, Executive, Founder, Philanthropist

John Davison Rockefeller Sr. was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history.