I heartily accept the motto,—"That government is best which governs least";... Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which I also believe,—"That government is best which governs not at all."

Henry David Thoreau

The Relation of the Individual to the State

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More information about this quote

Topic

Anarchism Limited government Political theory

Author

Henry David Thoreau

Source

The Relation of the Individual to the State

Medium

Essay

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1848 1840s 19th century

Occupation

Philosopher Writer

From

United States

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Thoreau, Henry. "The Relation of the Individual to the State." 26 Jan. 1848, Concord Lyceum, Concord, MA, USA.

Current Citation

Thoreau, Henry. "Civil Disobedience." Walden and Civil Disobedience. Signet, 2012.

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Related Quotes

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Another quote from the 1840s

The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains.

Karl Marx

The Communist Manifesto

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More information about this quote
Topic
Revolution Class conflict Oppression Politics

Author

Karl Marx
Source
The Communist Manifesto
Medium
Pamphlet
Genre
Political literature Economic literature
Language
German
Time
1848 1840s 19th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels [published anonymously]. Manifest der kommunistischen Partei [Manifesto of the Communist Party]. London: Gedruckt in der Office der Bildungs-Gesellschaft für Arbeiter, 1848.

Current Citation

Marx, Karl and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto, translated by Samuel Moore and Friedrich Engels. Penguin Classics, 2002.

Another quote about Political theory

In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.

Ronald Reagan

First Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan

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More information about this quote
Topic
Limited government Political theory American politics
Speaker
Ronald Reagan
Source
First Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan Presidential inaugural address
Medium
Speech
Genre
Political speech
Language
English
Time
1981 1980s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Reagan, Ronald. "First Inaugural Address." 20 Jan. 1981, West Front, US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, USA.