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For these new states this curse bears the germs of a…

“For these new states this curse bears the germs of a deadly sickness. For the nation-state cannot exist once its principle of equality before the law has broken down. Without this legal equality, which originally was destined to replace the older laws and orders of the feudal society, the nation…” quote by Hannah Arendt
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““For these new states this curse bears the germs of a deadly sickness. For the nation-state cannot exist once its principle of equality before the law has broken down. Without this legal equality, which originally was destined to replace the older laws and orders of the feudal society, the nation dissolves into an anarchic mass of over- and underprivileged individuals. Laws that are not equal for all revert to rights and privileges, something contradictory to the very nature of nation-states. The clearer the proof of their inability to treat stateless people as legal persons and the greater the extension of arbitrary rule by police decree, the more difficult it is for states to resist the temptation to deprive all citizens of legal status and rule them with an omnipotent police.””

Hannah Arendt

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When a state fails to guarantee legal equality, it collapses into chaos and arbitrary rule.

In simple terms: Unequal law leads to disorder.

Key Takeaway

Ensure equal legal rights for all.

Themes

equality law state legitimacy

Mood

critical reflective

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

  • policy drafting
  • judicial reform
  • civil rights activism

Key Concepts

political theory human rights

Questions to Reflect On

  • What safeguards protect legal equality?
  • Can law fully prevent arbitrary power?
A Different Perspective

Equality alone may not prevent power abuses.

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