Category: Thought

Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he will be complaining ‘It’s not fair’ before you can say Jack Robinson.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (1952), as quoted for the 26 February entry in A Year with C.S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works (2003), Patricia S. Klein, editor.

The fool who does not know his own folly may be doing nothing, and the philosopher who is trying to darken knowledge may be doing worse than nothing; but every sincere attempt to grapple with real difficulties made by a man not utterly incompetent has its value.

Leslie Stephen, from his preface to The Science of Ethics (1882).

Let those who would use the political process to impose their preferences on the behavior of others be wary of the threat to their own liberties, as described in the possible components of their own behavior that may also be subjected to control and regulation. The apparent costlessness of restricting the liberties of others through politics is deceptive. The liberties of some cannot readily be restricted without limiting the liberties of all.

James M. Buchanan, “Politics and Meddlesome Preferences,” in Smoking and Society: Toward a More Balanced Assessment, edited by Robert D. Tollison, page 340.

We can no longer be content with refuting our opponents; we are also bound to explain them. The vitality of any doctrine supposed to be erroneous proves that it cannot be entirely erroneous.

Leslie Stephen, The Science of Ethics (1882), page 2.

You can’t shame or humiliate modern celebrities. What used to be called shame and humiliation is now called publicity. And forget traditional character assassination; if you say a modern celebrity is an adulterer, a pervert and a drug addict, all it means is that you’ve read his autobiography.

Think what evil creeps liberals would be if their plans to enfeeble the individual, exhaust the economy, impede the rule of law, and cripple national defense were guided by a coherent ideology instead of smug ignorance. 

There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences. 

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.

P.J. O’Rourke, Parliament of Whores (1991).

Hubris is one of the great renewable resources.

P.J. O’Rourke (November 14, 1947 – February 15, 2022).

The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.

John Stuart Mill, On Liberty (1859) ch. 3.