Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Jefferson: Have we found angels in the form of kings to govern men?

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him?" ~Thomas Jefferson


[In response to Madison's famous:]

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself." ~James Madison (Federalist 51)

1 comment:

  1. We might translate/paraphrase Madison's comment to reveal its inherent contradiction:

    "If men were morally incorruptible, then it would not be necessary for men to rule other men, to prevent the corruption. If incorruptible men were to rule all other men, then neither external nor internal controls on those incorruptible men would be necessary. In framing a tyranny which is to be administered by corruptible men ruling over other corruptible men, the great contradiction lies in this: you must first enable the corruptible men to have such power, that they may indisputably rule over other men, and in the next place, hope that the corruptible men with great power are theoretically incorruptible men with insufficient power to tyrannize their fellows."

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