--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The government of man should be the…" description: "\"The government of man should be the monarchy of reason: it is too often the democracy of passions or the anarchy of humors.\" — Benjamin Whichcote" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc0/benjamin-whichcote-7885_anarchy_the-government-of-man-should-be-the-mona_3188344.png" --- # The government of man should be the monarchy of reason: it… ![“The government of man should be the monarchy of reason: it is too often the democracy of passions or the anarchy of humors.” quote by Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc0/benjamin-whichcote-7885_anarchy_the-government-of-man-should-be-the-mona_3188344.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc0/benjamin-whichcote-7885_anarchy_the-government-of-man-should-be-the-mona_3188344.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc0/benjamin-whichcote-7885_anarchy_the-government-of-man-should-be-the-mona_3188344.png) > “The government of man should be the monarchy of reason: it is too often the democracy of passions or the anarchy of humors.” [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reason should guide governance, not unchecked emotions or bodily impulses. **In simple terms:** Reason over passion in politics. Key Takeaway Prioritize rational policies. Themes politics reason governance human nature Mood reflective critical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - legislative debates - policy drafting - public speeches - ethical decision making Key Concepts social contract philosophy of law emotions humors Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance reason with emotional needs? - What mechanisms ensure rational governance? 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I rewarded merit regardless of birth or wealth, wherever I found it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/i-closed-the-gulf-of-anarchy-and-brought-order-out-of-chaos-i/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“Democracy, indeed, has a fair-appearing name and conveys the impression of bringing equal rights to all through equal laws, but its results are seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassius-dio/democracy-indeed-has-a-fair-appearing-name-and-conveys-the-impression/) [Cassius Dio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassius-dio/) > [The three most ancient opinions concerning God are Anarchia, Polyarchia, and Monarchia. 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Not now, but presently, people may forget their loyalty to their kings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/sometimes-helena-continued-i-have-a-terrible-dream-of-the-future-not/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) ## More by Benjamin Whichcote > [Whoever despiseth shame, despiseth sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/whoever-despiseth-shame-despiseth-sin/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [Truth is not only a man's ornament but his instrument; it is the great man's glory, and the poor man's stock: a man's truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/truth-is-not-only-a-man-s-ornament-but-his-instrument-it-is-the-great/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [He that repents is angry with himself; I need not be angry with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/he-that-repents-is-angry-with-himself-i-need-not-be-angry-with-him/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [None can do a man so much harm as he doeth himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/none-can-do-a-man-so-much-harm-as-he-doeth-himself/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [Let not a man's self be to him all in all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/let-not-a-man-s-self-be-to-him-all-in-all/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [Take away the self-conceited, and there will be elbowroom in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/take-away-the-self-conceited-and-there-will-be-elbowroom-in-the-world/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [Let us all so live as we shall wish we had lived when we come to die; for that only is well, that ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/let-us-all-so-live-as-we-shall-wish-we-had-lived-when-we-come-to-die/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [Christ is God clothed with human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/christ-is-god-clothed-with-human-nature/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [The sense of repentance is better assurance of pardon than the testimony of an angel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/the-sense-of-repentance-is-better-assurance-of-pardon-than-the/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [We are made for one another, and each is to be a supply to his neighbor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/we-are-made-for-one-another-and-each-is-to-be-a-supply-to-his-neighbor/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [A benefactor is a representative of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/a-benefactor-is-a-representative-of-god/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [He that would have the perfection of pleasure must be moderate in the use of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/he-that-would-have-the-perfection-of-pleasure-must-be-moderate-in-the/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [He that useth his reason doth acknowledge God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/he-that-useth-his-reason-doth-acknowledge-god/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [None of us was born knowing or wise; but men become wise by consideration, observation, experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/none-of-us-was-born-knowing-or-wise-but-men-become-wise-by/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [None are so empty as those who are full of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/none-are-so-empty-as-those-who-are-full-of-themselves/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) [Explore all 86 Benjamin Whichcote quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) ## More Anarchy quotes > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [So far I'm still standing on 'Sons of Anarchy' but all the rest of the people on the show have me in their crosshairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-pileggi/so-far-i-m-still-standing-on-sons-of-anarchy-but-all-the-rest-of-the/) [Mitch Pileggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-pileggi/) > [“Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/anarchy-evolution-faith-science-and-bad-religion-in-a-world-without/) [Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/) > [Perhaps it is this theory of all work and no play that has made the Marxist such a very dull boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/perhaps-it-is-this-theory-of-all-work-and-no-play-that-has-made-the/) [Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/) > [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/) [Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/) > [I think that if you run a big company, you've got to, four or five times a year, just say, 'Hey team, look, here's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-that-if-you-run-a-big-company-you-ve-got-to-four-or-five/) [Jeffrey R. 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Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/) > [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Would you like to do something good for the future of the human race; well, start killing some of its powerful members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/would-you-like-to-do-something-good-for-the-future-of-the-human-race/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [“twenty-three years of RFRAs to produce anarchy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corvino/twenty-three-years-of-rfras-to-produce-anarchy/) [John Corvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corvino/) > [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) [Browse all 795 Anarchy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The government of man should be the monarchy of reason: it is too often the democracy of passions or the anarchy of humors.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Benjamin Whichcote" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/the-government-of-man-should-be-the-monarchy-of-reason-it-is-too/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anarchy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/the-government-of-man-should-be-the-monarchy-of-reason-it-is-too/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc0/benjamin-whichcote-7885_anarchy_the-government-of-man-should-be-the-mona_3188344.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc0/benjamin-whichcote-7885_anarchy_the-government-of-man-should-be-the-mona_3188344.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc0/benjamin-whichcote-7885_anarchy_the-government-of-man-should-be-the-mona_3188344.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The government of man should be the monarchy of reason: it is too often the democracy of passions or the…” — Benjamin Whichcote", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Benjamin Whichcote", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The government of man should be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/the-government-of-man-should-be-the-monarchy-of-reason-it-is-too/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/the-government-of-man-should-be-the-monarchy-of-reason-it-is-too/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```