Every project has been found to be no better than committing the lamb to the custody of the wolf, except that one which is called a balance of power.

John Adams

More information about this quote

Topic

Constitutional theory Political theory

Author

John Adams

Source

Letters of John Adams

Medium

Letter

Statement Type

Metaphor, analogy and simile

Language

English

Time

1789 1780s 18th century

Occupation

Founding Father American President National leader Politician

From

United States

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Adams, John. Letter to Roger Sherman. 17 July 1789.

Current Citation

Adams, John. "Correspondence with Roger Sherman and John Taylor." The Portable John Adams. Penguin Classics, 2004.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by John Adams about constitutional theory: “Every project has been found to be no better than committing the lamb…”
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A quote by John Adams about constitutional theory: “Every project has been found to be no better than committing the lamb…”
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A quote by John Adams about constitutional theory: “Every project has been found to be no better than committing the lamb…”
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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 by John Adams

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

John Adams

Read this letter at the National Archives website
More information about this quote
Topic
Morality and politics Political theory American experiment

Author

John Adams
Source
Letters of John Adams
Medium
Letter
Language
English
Time
1798 1790s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Adams, John. Letter to the Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts. 11 Oct. 1798.

Another quote from the 1780s

People are not always what they seem.

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Nathan the Wise

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Read Nathan the Wise at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Appearance vs. reality
Speaker
Daya

Author

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Source
Nathan the Wise
Medium
Play
Language
German
Time
1783 1780s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim. Nathan der Weise [Nathan the Wise]. 14 Apr. 1783, Dobbelinsches Theatre, Berlin, Germany, act 1, sc. 6.

Current Citation

Lessing, Gotthold Ephraim. Nathan the Wise, translated by William Taylor. Dover Publications, 2015, act 1, sc. 6.

Another quote about Political theory

Justice is the first virtue of social institutions, as truth is of systems of thought. A theory however elegant and economical must be rejected or revised if it is untrue; likewise laws and institutions no matter how efficient and well-arranged must be reformed or abolished if they are unjust.

John Rawls

A Theory of Justice

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More information about this quote
Topic
Justice Political theory

Author

John Rawls
Source
A Theory of Justice
Genre
Political literature Philosophical literature
Language
English
Time
1971 1970s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Rawls, John. A Theory of Justice. Belknap Press, 1971, ch. 1, sect. 1.

Another quote of the following type Metaphor, analogy and simile

That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.

Neil Armstrong

More information about this quote
Topic
The moon landing The moon Space race Technological progress Progress
Speaker
Neil Armstrong
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1969 1960s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Armstrong, Neil. Spoken on the moon. 20 July 1969.