William Hazlitt Quotes
There is not a more mean, stupid, dastardly, pitiful, selfish, spiteful, envious, ungrateful animal than the Public.
William Hazlitt, 1778-1830, English Writer, Table Talk
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The speech was never actually delivered, but instead the Bishop published it. It received wide distribution including in America where it was published by the Maryland Gazette on September 29, 1774.
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Congressman and later President, George
4th Earl of Chesterfield. A Bill was being debated to control theaters and plays. At the time in England, playwrights would commonly write dialogue ridiculing politicians of the day. Lord Chesterfield was opposed to the proposed censorship.
Majority public opinion does not always prevail in a modern democracy as there are Constitutional limits on the prerogatives of the majority. Also leadership has played a strong role in America’s development where strong leaders have been able to do the right thing despite contrary public opinion.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens, 1835-1910
The Latin means “the voice of the people is the voice of God.” See Alcuin if York {593018} for a quick history of the statement. Essentially, in science public opinion is irrelevant or at least should be. One of the major political issues in our society is whether ideology and/or public opinion should control policy and practice of scientific issues, methods, and practices.
William Hazlitt was an English essayist, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language, placed in the company of Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. He is also acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age. Despite his high standing among historians of literature and art, his work is currently little read and mostly out of print.
