Authority Quote by Jacob Burckhardt
“The seventeenth century is everywhere a time in which the state's power over everything individual increases, whether that power be in absolutist hands or may be considered the result of a contract, etc. People begin to dispute the sacred right of the individual ruler or authority without being aware that at the same time they are playing into the hands of a colossal state power.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, 1860
The quote observes that as state power expands, individuals unknowingly empower a larger, more oppressive state by challenging traditional authority.
In simple terms: Increasing state control can unintentionally strengthen a massive state apparatus.
Key Takeaway
Be aware of how personal dissent may feed larger state power.
Themes
politics
individualism
state power
history
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Political activism
- civil disobedience
- academic debate
- public protest
- policy reform
Key Concepts
Absolutism
social contract
political theory
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards prevent personal dissent from empowering authoritarianism?
- How can individuals challenge authority responsibly?
A Different Perspective
Resistance without strategy can unintentionally consolidate the very power it opposes.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)