Neither the few nor the many have a right to act merely by their will, in any matter connected with duty, trust, engagement, or obligation.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Duty and trust require more than just personal will.
- In plain terms
- You cannot act only on your own desire when it involves duty.
- What can you take from it?
- Responsibility limits personal will.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What limits freedom?
- How do we manage power?
Another view
It can justify restricting legitimate autonomy.
More from Edmund Burke
Those who have been once intoxicated with power, and have derived any kind of emolument from it, even though but for one year, never can willingly abandon it. …
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