Political Quotes

Edmund Burke: There, where men follow their natural impulses, they would not bear the odious maxims of a Machiavelian policy, whether…

On the recordJanuary 1, 1790
There, where men follow their natural impulses, they would not bear the odious maxims of a Machiavelian policy, whether applied to the attainment of monarchical or democratic tyranny.
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Edmund Burke

Editor's note · Context

In his reflections on the French Revolution, Burke asserts that people naturally reject Machiavellian policies leading to tyranny, whether monarchical or democratic.

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