But it is better that the whole, should be imperfectly and anomalously answered than that while some parts are provided for with great exactness, others might be totally neglected, or perhaps materially injured, by the over-care of a favorite member.
Edmund Burke: “But it is better that the whole, should be imperfectly and anomalously answered than that while some parts are provided…”
Editor's note · Context
Burke argues for a holistic approach to governance, preferring imperfect solutions for the whole over precise care for only a few parts.
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