On the record
The ancients had no conception of progress; they did not so much as reject the idea; they did not even entertain the idea.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgThe ancients had no conception of progress; they did not so much as reject the idea; they did not even entertain the idea.
Bagehot reflects on the ancient worldview, noting their lack of a concept of progress, which contrasts with modern perspectives.
Share
More from Walter Bagehot
But, above all things, they were frightened of 'the world;' the spectacle of nature filled them with awe and dread.
But all men heed great results, and a change of Government is a great result.
The United States could not have become monarchical, even if the Constitutional Convention had decreed it, even if the component States had ratified it.
If the above reasoning be sound, compulsory constituencies are necessary, voluntary constituencies destructive; the optional transferability of votes is not a salutary aid, but a ruinous innovation.