Libertas et natale solum: Fine words! I wonder where you stole 'em.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Swift mocks patriotic slogans like freedom and native soil, suggesting they are stolen cliches rather than genuine convictions.
- In plain terms
- Patriotic phrases are often just empty words people copy.
- What can you take from it?
- Beware empty slogans that sound noble but lack substance.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When do patriotic phrases become empty?
- How can we tell if a slogan reflects real values?
Another view
Some slogans genuinely reflect shared values even if used often.
More from Jonathan Swift
For, in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery: but in fact, eleven men well armed will certainly subdue …
Permalink to quote #20 A set of phrases learnt by rote; A passion for a scarlet coat; When at a play to laugh, or cry, Yet cannot tell the reason why: Never to hold her tongue a minu…
Permalink to quote #22 So weak thou art, that fools thy power despise; And yet so strong, thou triumph'st o'er the wise.
Permalink to quote #19
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