All William Graham Sumner Quotes
- The great hinderance to the development of this continent has lain in the lack of capital. Capital
- A drunkard in the gutter is just where he ought to be...The law of survival of the fittest was not made by man, and it… Abrogated
- The Forgotten Man... delving away in patient industry, supporting his family, paying his taxes, casting his vote, supporting the church and the school... but he… All
- The men who start out with the notion that the world owes them a living generally find that the world pays its 'debt' in the… Debt
- Undoubtedly there are, in connection with each of these things, cases of fraud, swindling, and other financial crimes; that is to say, the greed and… Cases
- There is no boon in nature. All the blessings we enjoy are the fruits of labor, toil, self-denial, and study. All
- Moreover, there is an unearned increment on capital and on labor, due to the presence, around the capitalist and the laborer, of a great, industrious,… Capital
- We live in a war of two antagonistic ethical philosophies, the ethical policy taught in the books and schools, and the success policy. Antagonistic
- The real danger of democracy is, that the classes which have the power under it will assume all the rights and reject all the duties-that… All
- We throw all our attention on the utterly idle question whether A has done as well as B, when the only question is whether A… All
- The State, it cannot be too often repeated, does nothing and can give nothing which it does not take from somebody. The Forgotten Man works… Business
- What we prepare for is what we shall get Funny
- Society needs first of all to be free from meddlersthat is, to be let alone. All
- The invectives against capital in the hands of those who have it are double-faced, and when turned about are nothing but demands for capital in… Capital
- The criminal law needs to be improved to meet new forms of crime, but to denounce financial devices which are useful and legitimate because use… Age
- If I want to be free from any other man's dictation, I must understand that I can have no other man under my control. Any
- Every man and woman in society has one big duty. That is, to take care of his or her own self. This is a social… Accomplished
- Whatever capital you divert to the support of a shiftless and good-for-nothing person is so much diverted from some other employment, and that means from… Amount
- If you want a war, nourish a doctrine. Doctrines are the most frightful tyrants to which men are ever subject, because doctrines get inside a… Betray
- A wiser rule would be to make up your mind soberly what you want, peace or war, and then to get ready for what you… Decision
- Who is the Forgotten Man? He is the clean, quiet, virtuous, domestic citizen, who pays his debts and his taxes and is never heard of… Circle
- Everywhere you go on the continent of Europe at this hour you see the conflict between militarism and industrialism. You see the expansion of industrial… Arrested
- Ideals are very often formed in the effort to escape from the hard task of dealing with facts, which is the function of science and… Art
- Hunger, love, vanity, and fear. There are four great motives of human action. Action
- A good father believes that he does wisely to encourage enterprise, productive skill, prudent self-denial, and judicious expenditure on the part of his son. Believe