Joseph Addison Quotes

Absolute power turns its possessors not into a God but an anti-God. For God turned clay into men, while the absolute despot turns men into clay.

The love of domination and an uncontrolled lust of arbitrary power have prevailed among all nations and perhaps in proportion to the degrees of civilization.

Now comes the reign of iron.

The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.

This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.

this monster, this Colossus of Despotism ... a deep laid scheme to enslave us.

Fear must rule in a despotism.

Absolute power can only be supported by error, ignorance and prejudice.

The taint inherent in absolute power is not its inhumanity but its antihumanity.

As virtue is necessary in a republic, and honor in a monarchy, fear is what is required in a despotism. As for virtue, it is not at all necessary, and honor would be dangerous there.

Inhumanity is the keynote of stupidity in power.

What is more cruel than a tyrant's ear?

The Empire is the institution, the codification, of derangement; it is insane and imposes its insanity on us by violence, since its nature is a violent one.

Under the rule of a repressive whole, liberty can be made into a powerful instrument of domination.

The chains of military despotism, once fastened upon a nation, ages might pass away before they could be shaken off.

Despotism increases in severity with the number of despots; the responsibility is more divided, and the claims are more numerous.

If monarchy is corrupting - and it is - wait till you see what overt empire does to us.

A collective tyrant, spread over the length and breadth of the land, is no more acceptable than a single tyrant ensconced on his throne.

Whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called and whether it professes to be enforcing the will of God or the injunctions of men.

There's a certain amount of tyranny in all of us to some extent, and in some people it's much more developed than in others. It's a different balance which makes us all different.

The more complete the despotism, the more smoothly all things move on the surface.

The world will not accept dictatorship or domination.

All men would be tyrants if they could.

Every tyrant who has lived has believed in freedom for himself.

Tyranny naturally arises out of democracy.