The nature of man is intricate; the objects of society are of the greatest possible complexity: and therefore no simple disposition or direction of power can be suitable either to man's nature or to the quality of his affairs.
Edmund Burke: “The nature of man is intricate; the objects of society are of the greatest possible complexity: and therefore no simple…”
Editor's note · Context
Burke asserts that the intricate nature of humanity and society demands complex governmental structures, rejecting simplistic power arrangements.
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