Society does not consist of individuals but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand. Karl Marx
It is absolutely impossible to transcend the laws of nature. What can change in historically different circumstances is only the form in which these laws expose themselves. Karl Marx
Sometimes I wonder if we shall ever grow up in our politics and say definite things which mean something, or whether we shall always go on using generalities to which everyone can subscribe, and which mean very little. Eleanor Roosevelt
The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself. Robert Ingersoll
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. Albert Einstein
Wherever books will be burned, men also, in the end, are burned. Heinrich Heine
Eccentricity has always abounded when and where strength of character had abounded; and the amount of eccentricity in a society has generally been proportional to the amount of genius, mental vigor, and courage which it contained. John Stuart Mill
Whatever crushes individuality is despotism. John Stuart Mill
Conservatism discards Prescription, shrinks from Principle, disavows Progress; having rejected all respect for antiquity, it offers no redress for the present, and makes no preparation for the future. Benjamin Disraeli
My distaste to conservatism runs deep because I cannot tell where legitimate conservatism ends and reactionary dogma begins. Paul Tsongas
If the American pantheon were cleared of the effigies of statesmen and thinkers who would be defined as “liberals,” “cultural elitists,” and “secular humanists” by the standard of today’s right, hardly any statues would be left except for those of Andrew Jackson and William Jennings Bryan. Michael Lind, Up from Conservatism
My definition of a free society is one where it is safe to be unpopular. Adlai StevensonMost wars, after all, present themselves as humanitarian endeavors to help people. Howard Zinn
One certain effect of war is to diminish freedom of expression. Howard Zinn
If one man offers you democracy and another offers you a bag of grain, at what stage of starvation will you prefer the grain to the vote? Bertrand Russell
Image is halfway around the block before substance has its shoes on. Unknown Poet who adapted the Mark Twain quote of “A lie can travel halway around the world while the truth is putting its shoes on.” (if the producer of the former quote is out there, I would like to give appropriate credit)
All mankind… being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions. John Locke