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

Buy Civil Disobedience at Amazon Buy Civil Disobedience at Amazon
Read Civil Disobedience at Project Gutenberg

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.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Henry David Thoreau about anarchism: “I heartily accept the motto,—"That government is best which…”
Download
A quote by Henry David Thoreau about anarchism: “I heartily accept the motto,—"That government is best which…”
Download
A quote by Henry David Thoreau about anarchism: “I heartily accept the motto,—"That government is best which…”
Download

Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote from the 1840s

To establish a defence on the ground of insanity, it must be clearly proved that, at the time of the committing of the act, the party accused was laboring under such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act he was doing; or, if he did know it, that he did not know he was doing what was wrong.

Nicholas Conyngham Tindal

M'Naghten's Case

Read this opinion at law.justia.com
More information about this quote
Topic
Insanity Legal theory

Author

Nicholas Conyngham Tindal
Source
M'Naghten's Case
Medium
Legal opinion
Genre
Legal writing
Language
English
Time
1843 1840s 19th century
Authentication Score 1
Citation

Tindal, Nicholas Conyngham. Delivering an exposition of the rules. M'Naghten's Case. c. 1843, Palace of Westminster, London, England, UK.

Another quote about Political theory

Justice is not to be taken by storm. She is to be wooed by slow advances.

More information about this quote
Topic
Justice Incremental progress Political theory
Speaker
Benjamin Cardozo
Source
The Function and the Ends of Law
Medium
Speech
Language
English
Time
1923 1920s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Cardozo, Benjamin Nathan. "The Function and the Ends of Law." Dec. 1923, Yale University Law School, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.