Command Quote by Bertrand de Jouvenel
“But there are no institutions on earth which enable each separate person to have a hand in the exercise of Power, for Power is command, and everyone cannot command. Sovereignty of the people is, therefore, nothing but a fiction, and one which must in the long run prove destructive of individual liberties.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Sovereignty of the People by Bertrand de Jouvenel, 1935
Power is centralized and cannot be truly shared by individuals; the idea of popular sovereignty is ultimately a myth that threatens liberty.
In simple terms: Power cannot be truly shared; popular sovereignty is a myth.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of collective power.
Themes
politics
power
liberty
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political theory
- activism
- government reform
Key Concepts
democracy
authority
individual rights
Questions to Reflect On
- Is true popular sovereignty possible?
- How can individuals retain liberty within large systems?
A Different Perspective
Power structures often marginalize individuals.
![“Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine is too complicated for all the elements to be able to enter into the analytical comparison we wish to make, we separate the more inconvenient [elements], we…” quote by Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0d9/jean-le-rond-d-alembert-26487_able_geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics_6945.jpg)
