Body Quote by Algernon Sidney
“Machiavel, discoursing on these matters, finds virtue to be so essentially necessary to the establishment and preservation of liberty, that he thinks it impossible for a corrupted people to set up a good government, or for a tyranny to be introduced if they be virtuous; and makes this conclusion, 'That where the matter (that is, the body of the people) is not corrupted, tumults and disorders do not hurt; and where it is corrupted, good laws do no good:' which being confirmed by reason and experience, I think no wise man has ever contradicted him.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Discourses on Government by Algernon Sidney, 1698
Virtue is essential for liberty; a corrupt populace cannot sustain good government, and tyrannical rule cannot thrive among virtuous citizens.
In simple terms: Virtue sustains liberty and good governance.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate virtue to protect freedom.
Themes
virtue
liberty
government
corruption
order
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
political
historical
When to use this quote
- nation building
- public policy
- community leadership
- education reform
Key Concepts
political philosophy
ethics
civic responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies foster virtue amid widespread corruption?
- What safeguards ensure virtuous leaders remain accountable?
A Different Perspective
Virtue alone may not prevent external threats or internal power struggles.
![“[A]ll popular and well-mixed governments [republics] . . . are ever established by wise and good men, and can never be upheld otherwise than by virtue: The worst men always conspiring against them, they must fall, if the best have not power to preserve them. . . . [and] unless they be preserved in…” quote by Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1c1/algernon-sidney-20606_conspiring_a-ll-popular-and-well-mixed-governments_696129.jpg)
![“[L]iberty cannot be preserved, if the manners of the people are corrupted . . .” quote by Algernon Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/65d/algernon-sidney-20606_freedom_l-iberty-cannot-be-preserved-if-the-mann_1577380.jpg)
![“I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests with ZERO-G [a charter-flight service in Arlington, Va., that uses modified Boeing 727s to simulate weightlessness], which went great.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/richard-branson-256_adventure_i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-repl_903.jpg)
