On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
It would be as ridiculous to attempt to fix the hereditaryship of human beauty, as of wisdom.
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgThomas Paine: “It would be as ridiculous to attempt to fix the hereditaryship of human beauty, as of wisdom.”
Editor's note · Context
Paine uses a striking analogy in "Rights of Man" to illustrate the absurdity of believing that wisdom can be inherited, comparing it to the idea of inheriting beauty.
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Discussion and the general will arbitrates the question, and to this, private opinion yields with a good grace, and order is preserved uninterrupted.