...these who speak of the State, necessarily think and speak of a world divided into different States, who are internally oppressors and outwardly despoilers, i.e., enemies to each other. The State, since it involves this division, oppression, and despoliation of humanity, must represent the negation of humanity and the destruction of human society.
But all that [the problems of society] were easily remediable by a dutiful and sympathetic Government. (From: Chapter 13: Mazinyana Woos and Weds, Page 594..)
...war is the mere practice of rapine, to enrich the individual; commerce is turned into a system of snares and impositions; and government by turns oppressive or weak. (From: Part 2, Section III..)
[Interviewer:] If intelligent life exists somewhere else than on Earth, would it be similar to the forms we know, or different?
[Stephen Hawking:] Is there intelligent life on Earth? (From: Chapter 3: Is there other intelligent life in the ....)
...government only interferes to exploit the masses, or defend the privileged, or, lastly, to sanction, most unnecessarily, all that has been done without its aid, often in spite of and opposition to it.
Take the quality of passion or spirit; -- it would be ridiculous to imagine that this quality, when found in States, is not derived from the individuals who are supposed to possess it... (From: Book 4..)
But if cities are founded by people from different social and occupational backgrounds congregating to live in close proximity to one another, is a hierarchical social system and coercive centralized control the only way of managing the group's increasingly complex economic and social interactions? (From: Part 4: African Civilizations, Chapter 23: Cities ....)
...to pursue our humanitarian work was but to cultivate the slopes of a volcano, we did not at all guess the magnitude of the coming disaster. (From: Chapter 14: The Forlorn Hope, Page 218..)
...no one is barred from competing with all in the state, except the prince, because he represents the state itself... (From: Part 2, Chapter II, Section 2..)
Do not resist the evil-doer and take no part in doing so, either in the violent deeds of the administration, in the law courts, the collection of taxes, or above all in soldiering, and no one in the world will be able to enthralled you.
"Master," said he, "we come to beg you to tell why so strange an animal as man was made."
"With what meddlest thou?" said the Dervish; "is it thy business?"
"But, reverend father," said Candide, "there is horrible evil in this world."
"What signifies it," said the Dervish, "whether there be evil or good? When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?" (From: Chapter 30: Conclusion, Page 79..)
