He who rules by moral force is like the pole star, which remains in place while all the lesser stars do homage to it.
That state is best ordered when the wicked have no command, and the good have.
The two chief things that give a man reputation in counsel, are the opinion of his honesty, and the opinion of his wisdom; the authority of those two will persuade.
Lose moral legitimacy, lose the war.
The idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom.
Legitimate authority to be, to do or to have; as the right to be a king, the right to do one's neighbor, the right to have measles, and the like.
If, therefore, there is any one superior in virtue and in the power of performing the best actions, him we ought to follow and obey, but he must have the capacity for action as well as virtue.
Moral power is probably best when it is not used. The less you use it the more you have.
The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action.
A moral monopoly is the antithesis of a marketplace of ideas.
The Court's great power is its ability to educate, to provide moral leadership.
While moral rules may be propounded by authority the fact that these were so propounded would not validate them.
