Germaine de Staël Quotes

Power never turns power down, ever, unless institutionally demanded.

Power never takes a back step—only in the face of more power.

Power abdicates only under stress of counter-power.

Power, however it has evolved, whatever its origins, will not be given up without a struggle.

Power is never so overwhelming that there's no room for resistance.

Education is dangerous - every educated person is a future enemy.

To attempt to superimpose its views through the exercise of force, is seldom the part of intelligence; it is frequently the part of ignorance.

The University conceives of itself as dedicated to the power of the intellect. Its commitment is to the way of reason.

I don't think that people in power can be convinced by words or articles. They will never give it up by choice.

If he who employs coercion against me could mould me to his purposes by argument, no doubt he would. He pretends to punish me because his argument is strong; but he really punishes me because his argument is weak.

In the same way that we need statesmen to spare us the abjection of exercising power, we need scholars to spare us the abjection of learning.

So I'm not very popular here with those inside the system, as you might guess. I never wanted to be.

Whenever there is authority, there is a natural inclination to disobedience.

Sometimes I think the world is divided into those who have a comfortable relationship with power and those who have a naturally adversarial relationship with power.

You can't do anything if a person says no. In such a case, there's nothing you can do - unlike the popular cliche that pressure is exerted, or that maybe an unwilling source is done away with.

Wherever there is a man who exercises authority, there is a man who resists authority!

Law is merely the expression of the will of the strongest for the time being.

All political questions, all matters of right, are at bottom only questions of might.

Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.

Between the people and their enemies there can be nothing in common but the sword; we must govern by iron those who cannot be governed by justice; we must oppress the tyrant...

Attempts to run the world generate resistance.

People crushed by law have no hopes but from power. If laws are their enemies, they will be enemies to laws

As men could not make might obey right, they have made right obey might.

I'm going to Congress to break down the doors of power.

People say, 'Are you going to be beating up one side or the other side?' It's everybody. It's the entire education establishment that is in power.