Barbaric Quote by H. L. Mencken
“Good government is that which delivers the citizen from being done out of his life and property too arbitrarily and violently-one that relieves him sufficiently from the barbaric business of guarding them to enable him to engage in gentler, more dignified, and more agreeable undertakings...”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The American Mind, 1915
A good government protects citizens from arbitrary violence and allows them to pursue dignified, pleasant activities.
In simple terms: Government should safeguard life and property, enabling peaceful lives.
Key Takeaway
Demand protection of rights and freedom.
Themes
government
rights
freedom
security
Mood
concerned
hopeful
Type
political
philosophical
When to use this quote
- law enforcement
- public policy
- daily life
- community safety
Key Concepts
liberalism
social contract
civil liberties
Questions to Reflect On
- What freedoms do you value most?
- How can citizens ensure government accountability?
A Different Perspective
Implementation can be uneven and contested.
![“By profession a biologist, [Thomas Henry Huxley] covered in fact the whole field of the exact sciences, and then bulged through its four fences. Absolutely nothing was uninteresting to him. His curiosity ranged from music to theology and from philosophy to history. He didn't simply know something…” quote by H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f46/h-l-mencken-245_absolutely-nothing_by-profession-a-biologist-thomas-henry-h_5368.jpg)
