Collective Authority Quotes

It is self-evident that no number of men, by conspiring, and calling themselves a government, can acquire any rights whatever over other men, or other men's property, which they had not before, as individuals.

Civilization is only possible through the individual becoming part of the whole and just as collective authority in the interests of all limits the egoism of the individual ... it similarly has the right to implement such measures for the benefit of the community as are scientifically proved expedient in the way of population policy or eugenics.

No single man can bear the whole burden of Empire — I need a colleague, or perhaps several colleagues

The very existence of society depends on the fact that every member of it tacitly admits he is not the exclusive possessor of himself, and that he admits the claim of the polity of which he forms a part, to act, to some extent, as his master.

We are an inclusive rather than an exclusive party …. The authority of the people is to be extended, not restricted.

When any one state in the American union refuses obedience to the Confederation, by which they have bound themselves, the rest have a natural right to compel them to obedience.

We must reflect more on what democracy in the exercise of authority would mean. Is truth determined by a majority vote, only for a new 'truth' to be 'discovered' by a new majority tomorrow?

The mass believes that it has the right to impose and to give force of law to notions born in the café.

One policeman may be a friend, but two are the Law.

Whoever refuses to obey the general will will be forced to do so by the entire body; this means merely that he will be forced to be free.

There is an original, undivided and incommunicable authority and supremacy in the collective body of the people, to whom all delegated power must submit, and from whom there is no appeal.

With the people, especially a people seized of property, resides the aggregate of original power.

The individual or the group which organizes any society, however social its intentions or pretensions, arrogates an inordinate portion of social privilege to itself.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us.

Ought to have a universal compulsory force to move and arrange each part in the manner best suited to the whole. Just as nature gives each man an absolute power over all his members, the social compact gives the body politic an absolute power over all its members." "We grant that each person alienates, by the social compact, only that portion of his power, his goods, and liberty whose use is of consequence to the community; but we must also grant that only the sovereign is the judge of what is of consequence.

We are one organization with one policy and command structure, and all the governments participating have to accept that.

The Sovereign: The People

From the absolute will of an entire people there is no appeal, no redemption, no refuge but treason.

I am ashamed to think how easily we capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions.

Great is the power, great is the authority of a senate that is unanimous in its opinions.

No one person can be above the ANC. He can't be.

The function of State coercion is to override individual coercion, and, of course, coercion exercised by any association of individuals within the State. It is by this means that it maintains liberty of expression, security of person and property, genuine freedom of contract, the rights of public meeting and association, and finally its own power to carry out common objects undefeated by the recalcitrance of individual members.

The influence over government must be shared among all the people. If every individual which composes their mass participates of the ultimate authority, the government will be safe, because the corrupting of the whole mass will exceed any private resources of wealth, and public ones cannot be provided but by levies on the people. In this case every man would have to pay his own price.

There is only one power and one dictatorship whose organisation is salutary and feasible: it is that collective, invisible dictatorship of those who are allied in the name of our principle.

If a community decides that some conduct is prejudicial to itself, and so decides by numbers sufficient to impose its will upon dissenters, I know of no principle which can stay its hand.