On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
Man cannot, properly speaking, make circumstances for his purpose, but he always has it in his power to improve them when they occur, and this was the case in France.
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgMan cannot, properly speaking, make circumstances for his purpose, but he always has it in his power to improve them when they occur, and this was the case in France.
From his work "Rights of Man," this passage reflects on human agency in shaping historical events, particularly in the context of the French Revolution.
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The American constitutions were to liberty what a grammar is to language: they define its parts of speech, and practically construct them into syntax.
A knowledge of the practice was then joined to the theory; and all that was wanting to give it real existence was opportunity.