100+ Political Philosophy Quotes

source: "The Ballot or The Bullet (Cleveland Version)". Malcolm X's speech at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio (April 3, 1964) as quoted in "Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements" edited by George Breitman (pp. 23-44), 1965.

topic: Philosophy, Mean, Men, Black Nationalism, Political Philosophy

If you can’t lead and you can’t deliver, then your own personal political philosophy is pretty much irrelevant, there have been far too many occasions over the last four years where the House has been ineffective.

- Rich Nugent

source: "Conservative Lawmaker Who Voted Against John Boehner Raps His Leadership". www.huffingtonpost.com. January 12, 2015.

topic: Philosophy, Years, Political, Political Philosophy

I do not claim to have any developed or sophisticated views in political philosophy, but I think that one of the lessons of the last few hundred years of history is that the greatest threat to human prosperity and well-being is fanaticism and intolerance, even in the name of apparently laudable goals.

- Tim Crane

topic: Philosophy, Thinking, Goal, Political Philosophy

I don't subscribe to relativism, whether it's in political philosophy, foreign policy or in life.

- Paul Ryan

source: Source: www.realclearpolitics.com

topic: Philosophy, Political, Foreign Policy, Political Philosophy, Relativism

Our faith in democracy, personal freedoms and human 'rights', and the other comforting prescriptions of the humanist liberal credo stem from the supremacy of maritime over territorial power. Pragmatists may deplore this as crude determinism, as another vain attempt to construct a general theory of history. They should reflect on the sort of political philosophy and structures we might now adhere to had the Habsburgs, Bourbons, Bonaparte, Hitler, Stalin or his heirs prevailed in the titanic world struggles of the past four centuries.

- Peter Padfield

source: Peter Padfield (2000). “Maritime Supremacy & the Opening of the Western Mind: Naval Campaigns that Shaped the Modern World”, Overlook Books

topic: Philosophy, Struggle, Past, Maritime, Pragmatists

Anarchism as a political philosophy seeks to dissolve all forms of authority and power, and if possible, wishes their complete abolition.

- Peter Marshall

source: "Demanding the Impossible: A History of Anarchism". Book by Peter Marshall (p. 47), 1992.

topic: Anarchism, Authority And Power, Political Philosophy

I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans,

- Arlen Specter

topic: Philosophy, Political, Lines, Political Philosophy

The fundamental problem of political philosophy is still precisely the one that Spinoza saw so clearly (and that Wilhelm Reich rediscovered): Why do men fight for their servitude as stubbornly as though it were their salvation?

- Gilles Deleuze

source: Gilles Deleuze, FeÌl?ix Guattari (2004). “Anti-Oedipus”, p.31, A&C Black

topic: Philosophy, Fighting, Men, Spinoza, Political Philosophy

Peace cannot come by legislation or through affiliation with any political philosophy...Peace, joy, and happiness can come only through an acceptance of God's revealed plan of life.

- Theodore M. Burton

topic: Philosophy, Acceptance, Joy, Affiliation, Political Philosophy

My basic political philosophy is, I ain't mad at that. Which basically means I don't have to have a strong opinion about everything. I'm too tired most of the time. Why do I have to take a stand on everything? Sometimes I'm just not mad at it. Like, What do you think about gay marriage? I ain't mad at you, you're gay and you're married: I ain't mad at you, go do it.

- Larry Wilmore

source: "Larry Wilmore on Race, Politics, and Mormonism". Interview with David Haglund, www.slate.com. August 24, 2012.

topic: Strong, Philosophy, Tired, Strong Opinions, Political Philosophy

High blood pressure, cheeriness at breakfast, a mellowing political philosophy, and an inability to drink more than half a bottle of proof spirits at cocktail time without falling over the fire irons all suggest dark wings hovering overhead and the impending midnight croak of the raven.

- Lucius Beebe

source: Lucius Morris Beebe (1966). “The Provocative Pen of Lucius Beebe, Esq”

topic: Philosophy, Fall, Dark, Blood Pressure, Political Philosophy

Conservatism therefore looks upon the enhancement of man's spiritual nature as the primary concern of political philosophy. Liberals, on the other hand,â€” in the name of a concern for â€œhuman beingsâ€â€” regard the satisfaction of economic wants as the dominant mission of society.

- Barry Goldwater

topic: Spiritual, Philosophy, Men, Enhancement, Political Philosophy

No Republican presidential candidate is a viable option for pro-choice voters of any political philosophy - Democrat, Republican or otherwise.

- Christine Pelosi

source: "Women’s Rights at Stake: Why Iowa Feminists Should Caucus for President Obama" by Christine Pelosi, www.huffingtonpost.com. December 31, 2011.

topic: Philosophy, Choices, Presidential, Presidential Candidate, Political Philosophy

Anarchism is that political philosophy which advocates the maximization of individual responsibility and the reduction of concentrated power regal, dictatorial, parliamentary: the institutions which go loosely by the name of "government" to a vanishing minimum.

- Alex Comfort

source: In the Preface of "People Without Government" by Harold Barclay, p. 7, 1982.

topic: Philosophy, Responsibility, Government, Individual Responsibility, Anarchism

Libertarians secretly worried that ultimately someone will figure out the whole of their political philosophy boils down to “Get Off My Property.” News flash: This is not really a big secret to the rest of us.

- John Scalzi

source: "I Hate Your Politics" by John Scalzi, whatever.scalzi.com. March 22, 2002.

topic: Philosophy, Political, Secret, Political Philosophy

For Confucians, we are such thoroughly social beings that individual and social interests are not in the end regarded as fundamentally incompatible. Though there will be conflicts, the central mission of moral and political philosophy is to foster approaches that will render them compatible or if that is not possible in some cases, to keep a reasonable balance so that neither side is consistently sacrificed for the sake of the other.

- David Wong

source: Source: www.3ammagazine.com

topic: Philosophy, Political, Balance, Political Philosophy

People of Haiti, I am the heir to the political philosophy, the doctrine and the revolution which my late father incarnated as president-for-life [and] I have decided to continue his work with the same fierce energy and the same intransigence.

- Jean-Claude Duvalier

topic: Father, Philosophy, People, Political Philosophy

If it is correct to say that there will always be rightist temperaments and leftist temperaments, it is nevertheless also correct to say that political philosophy is neither rightist nor leftist; it must simply be true .

- Jacques Maritain

source: "The Twilight of Civilization". Book by Jacques Maritain (p. 41), 1939.

topic: Philosophy, Political, Being True, Political Philosophy

Our political parties exist for no other reason than to win power; they are not ideological debating societies designed to present a particular political philosophy and to persuade voters to accept it.

- Tom Wicker

topic: Philosophy, Party, Winning, Political Philosophy

My favourite author is Leon Trotsky - the political philosophy and the way he writes is beautiful, and really relevant, too.

- Andrej Pejic

topic: Beautiful, Philosophy, Writing, Leon, Trotsky

The adjective "political" in "political philosophy" designates not so much the subject matter as a manner of treatment; from this point of view, I say, "political philosophy" means primarily not the philosophic study of politics, but the political, or popular, treatment of philosophy, or the political introduction to philosophy the attempt to lead qualified citizens, or rather their qualified sons, from the political life to the philosophic life.

- Leo Strauss

source: "What is Political Philosophy?". Book by Leo Strauss, 1959.

topic: Philosophy, Mean, Son, Subject Matter, Political Philosophy

My relationship with Barack Obama isn't based on my political philosophy or his.

- Tom Coburn

source: "Sen. Tom Coburn: A proud contrarian". "60 minutes" with Lesley Stahl, www.cbsnews.com. December 21, 2014.

topic: Philosophy, Political, Barack, Political Philosophy

The task of the political philosopher can only be to influence public opinion, not to organize people for action. He will do so effectively only if he is not concerned with what is now politically possible but consistently defends the "general principles which are always the same." In this sense I doubt whether there can be such a thing as a conservative political philosophy. Conservatism may often be a useful practical maxim, but it does not give us any guiding principles which can influence long-range developments.

- Friedrich August von Hayek

source: "The Constitution of Liberty". Book by Friedrich Hayek, Postscript: Why I Am Not a Conservative, 1960.

topic: Philosophy, Guiding Principles, Often Is, Conservative Political, Political Philosophy

My political philosophy as a libertarian says that government has no business intervening in any consensual private behavior. My professional ethic as a thinker and writer, however, says that self-knowledge is our ultimate responsibility

- Camille Paglia

topic: Philosophy, Responsibility, Government, Intervening, Political Philosophy

The most wounding insult to an educated Russian was to be called nekulturny-uncultured-yet the same men who sat in the gilt boxes at the Moscow State Opera weeping at the end of a performance of Boris Gudunov could immediately turn around and order the execution or imprisonment of a hundred men without blinking. A strange people, made more strange by their political philosophy.

- Tom Clancy

topic: Philosophy, Men, Order, Political Philosophy

Who knew, in 2000, that compassionate conservatism meant bigger government, unrestricted government spending, government intrusion in personal matters, government ineptitude, and cronyism in disaster relief? Who knew, in 2000, that the only bill the president would veto, six years later, would be one on funding stem-cell research? A more accurate term for Mr. Bush's political philosophy might be incontinent conservatism.

- Christopher Buckley

source: "Let’s quit while we are behind". washingtonmonthly.com. October 1, 2006.

topic: Philosophy, Government, Cells, Ineptitude, Disaster Relief

My interest in political philosophy was rather casual until I met Hayek.

- Milton Friedman

topic: Philosophy, Political, Hayek, Political Philosophy

I want you to know that this administration is motivated by a political philosophy that sees the greatness of America in you, her people, and in your families, churches, neighborhoods, communities - the institutions that foster and nourish values like concern for others and respect for the rule of law under God.

- Ronald Reagan

source: Remarks at the Annual Convention of the the National Association of Evangelicals, delivered 8 March 1983, Orlando, Florida

topic: Philosophy, Greatness, America, Concern For Others, Greatness Of America

Laws provide, as much as ispossible that the goods and health of subjects be not injured by the fraud and violence of others. They do not guard them from thenegligence or ill-husbandry of the possessors themselves.

- John Locke

source: John Locke (2012). “A Letter Concerning Toleration: Latin and English Texts Revised and Edited with Variants and an Introduction”, p.45, Springer Science & Business Media

topic: Philosophy, Law, Political, Political Philosophy

There was a time, before I was in graduate school, when political philosophy pretty much ceased to exist. The positivists thought there were only two things you could do: conceptual analysis or empirical investigation. Any kind of political theory or even ethical theory was nonsense.

- Martha C. Nussbaum

source: Source: www.neh.gov

topic: Philosophy, School, Two, Political Theory, Political Philosophy

In my political philosophy - which is definitely more socialist Democrat than centrist politician like Hillary Clinton - I think regulation for banks and those platforms that Bernie Sanders had are good for the whole of America.

- David Cross

source: "David Cross on why his comedy tour pissed off people right and left". Interview with Sean O'Neal, www.avclub.com. August 18, 2016.

topic: Philosophy, Thinking, America, Political Philosophy

Building on the public's unwillingness to act on principle in support of market solutions to apparent problems, whether real or imagined, these interest groups secure arbitrary restrictions on voluntary exchanges and, in the process, secure rents for their members while reducing both the liberties and economic well being of other members of the economic nexus, both domestically and internationally.

- James M. Buchanan

topic: Philosophy, Real, Political, Nexus, Interest Groups