On the record
They suffer from the tendency of all modern society to raise the average, and to lower--comparatively, and perhaps absolutely, to lower--the summit.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgWalter Bagehot: “They suffer from the tendency of all modern society to raise the average, and to lower--comparatively, and perhaps…”
Editor's note · Context
Bagehot notes that modern society tends to elevate the average individual while diminishing the elite.
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Political philosophy is still more imperfect; it has been framed from observations taken upon regular specimens of politics and States; as to these its teaching is most valuable.
Our law very often reminds one of those outskirts of cities where you cannot for a long time tell how the streets come to wind about in so capricious and serpent-like a manner.
It is natural that those who by special and admirable culture have come to look at all things upon the artistic side, should start back from these queer peculiarities.
I own that I do not entirely sympathise with the horror of these anomalies which haunts some of our best critics.
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