--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy rests upon two pillars: one…" description: "\"Democracy rests upon two pillars: one, the principle that all men are equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and the other, th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/louis-d-brandeis-5049_advance_democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the_1150713.png" --- # Democracy rests upon two pillars: one, the principle that… ![“Democracy rests upon two pillars: one, the principle that all men are equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and the other, the conviction that such equal opportunity will most advance civilization.” quote by Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/louis-d-brandeis-5049_advance_democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the_1150713.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/louis-d-brandeis-5049_advance_democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the_1150713.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/louis-d-brandeis-5049_advance_democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the_1150713.png) > “Democracy rests upon two pillars: one, the principle that all men are equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and the other, the conviction that such equal opportunity will most advance civilization.” [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy needs equal rights and equal opportunity to thrive and advance society. **In simple terms:** Equality and opportunity are essential for a strong democracy. Key Takeaway Promote fair access for all. Themes equality opportunity civilization politics Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical political When to use this quote - voting - policy making - education reform - community organizing Key Concepts social contract human rights public good Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure true equality? - What barriers limit equal opportunity? A Different Perspective Implementation depends on cultural and economic contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Conviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conviction/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Equal opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal-opportunity/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Pursuit of happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit-of-happiness/) ## Related quotes > [Since the generality of persons act from impulse, much more than from principle, men are neither so good nor so bad as we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-hare/since-the-generality-of-persons-act-from-impulse-much-more-than-from/) [Augustus Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-hare/) > [Majority rule rests on numbers; democracy rests on the well-grounded assumption that society is neither a collection of units nor an organism but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-parker-follett/majority-rule-rests-on-numbers-democracy-rests-on-the-well-grounded/) [Mary Parker Follett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-parker-follett/) > [“American democracy rests on a foundation of competing tensions among local, state, and federal laws,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-koppel/american-democracy-rests-on-a-foundation-of-competing-tensions-among/) [Ted Koppel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-koppel/) > [The U.S. corporate media, otherwise known as the "free press," is that hollow pillar on which contemporary American democracy rests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-u-s-corporate-media-otherwise-known-as-the-free-press-is-that/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Relationship Principle 6 Men see how you dress, and then make assumptions about your relationship potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-argov/relationship-principle-6-men-see-how-you-dress-and-then-make/) [Sherry Argov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-argov/) > [A small knowledge of human nature will convince us, that, with far the greatest part of mankind, interest is the governing principle... Few men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/a-small-knowledge-of-human-nature-will-convince-us-that-with-far-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Two men are equally free from the rage of ambition; are they therefore equal in merit? Perhaps not; one may be above ambition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulke-greville-1st-baron-brooke/two-men-are-equally-free-from-the-rage-of-ambition-are-they-therefore/) [Fulke Greville, 1st Baron Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulke-greville-1st-baron-brooke/) > [“Even though God has given the gift of time to all men equally, it is what each man does with this equal gift of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/even-though-god-has-given-the-gift-of-time-to-all-men-equally-it-is/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Though all men be equally frail before the world, the differences between them are terrifying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/though-all-men-be-equally-frail-before-the-world-the-differences/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [All men equal in rights and duties, all men equally responsible for the destiny of mankind - what a dream!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-bourgeois/all-men-equal-in-rights-and-duties-all-men-equally-responsible-for/) [Leon Bourgeois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-bourgeois/) > [“The Men, who have taken care to engross the affairs of Religion, as well as others, to their own management, are no more guided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-sophia-fermor/the-men-who-have-taken-care-to-engross-the-affairs-of-religion-as/) [Lady Sophia Fermor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-sophia-fermor/) > [He has as yet no perfect love, whose disposition towards men depends on what they are like, loving one and despising another for this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maximus-the-confessor/he-has-as-yet-no-perfect-love-whose-disposition-towards-men-depends/) [Maximus the Confessor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maximus-the-confessor/) > [I rejoice that horses and steers have to be broken before they can be made the slaves of men, and that men themselves have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-rejoice-that-horses-and-steers-have-to-be-broken-before-they-can-be/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In the supposed state of nature, all men are equally bound by the laws of nature, or to speak more properly, the laws of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel/in-the-supposed-state-of-nature-all-men-are-equally-bound-by-the-laws/) [Samuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel/) > [Men equally honest, equally devoted to their fatherland, are momentarily separated by different conceptions of their duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/men-equally-honest-equally-devoted-to-their-fatherland-are/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) ## More by Louis D. Brandeis > [Men feared witches and burned women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/men-feared-witches-and-burned-women/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [The goose that lays golden eggs has been considered a most valuable possession. But even more profitable is the privilege of taking the golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-goose-that-lays-golden-eggs-has-been-considered-a-most-valuable/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Fear of serious injury cannot alone justify suppression of free speech and assembly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/fear-of-serious-injury-cannot-alone-justify-suppression-of-free/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [We gain nothing by trading the tyranny of capital for the tyranny of labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/we-gain-nothing-by-trading-the-tyranny-of-capital-for-the-tyranny-of/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the Government's purposes are beneficent. Men born to freedom are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/experience-should-teach-us-to-be-most-on-our-guard-to-protect-liberty/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill it teaches the whole people by example. Crime is contagious. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/our-government-is-the-potent-the-omnipresent-teacher-for-good-or-for/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [What are the American ideals? They are the development of the individual for his own and the common good; the development of the individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/what-are-the-american-ideals-they-are-the-development-of-the/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/most-of-the-things-worth-doing-in-the-world-had-been-declared/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [What I have desired to do is to make the people of Boston realize that the most important office, and the one which all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/what-i-have-desired-to-do-is-to-make-the-people-of-boston-realize/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/if-we-desire-respect-for-the-law-we-must-first-make-the-law/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Fear of serious injury alone cannot justify oppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/fear-of-serious-injury-alone-cannot-justify-oppression-of-free-speech/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [I abhor averages. I like the individual case. A man may have six meals one day and none the next, making an average of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/i-abhor-averages-i-like-the-individual-case-a-man-may-have-six-meals/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Organisation can never be a substitute for initiative and for judgement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/organisation-can-never-be-a-substitute-for-initiative-and-for/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [Let no American imagine that Zionism is inconsistent with patriotism. Multiple loyalties are objectionable only if they are inconsistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/let-no-american-imagine-that-zionism-is-inconsistent-with-patriotism/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) > [“The protection guaranteed by the Amendments is much broader in scope. The makers of our Constitution undertook to secure conditions favorable to the pursuit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/the-protection-guaranteed-by-the-amendments-is-much-broader-in-scope/) [Louis D. Brandeis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) [Explore all 104 Louis D. Brandeis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/) ## More Advance quotes > [I don't think we should tell them what we're going to do in advance. Let them think. Worry. Wonder. Uncertainty is the most chilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-a-walters/i-don-t-think-we-should-tell-them-what-we-re-going-to-do-in-advance/) [Vernon A. Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-a-walters/) > [It's more common than not that bipolar illness will start in the teens. One of the reasons I spend a lot of time on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/it-s-more-common-than-not-that-bipolar-illness-will-start-in-the/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [The advance of science spares us from irrational dread.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-rees/the-advance-of-science-spares-us-from-irrational-dread/) [Martin Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-rees/) > [Some companies out there quote a start of production that is substantially in advance of when customers get their cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elon-musk/some-companies-out-there-quote-a-start-of-production-that-is/) [Elon Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elon-musk/) > [My priority in life is my whanau, followed by my work as an artist, which has blessed me with the ability to provide opportunities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cliff-curtis/my-priority-in-life-is-my-whanau-followed-by-my-work-as-an-artist/) [Cliff Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cliff-curtis/) > [Others have said it before me. If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu. And so it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/others-have-said-it-before-me-if-you-don-t-have-a-seat-at-the-table/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaim-potok/what-i-have-in-advance-are-people-i-want-to-write-about-and-a-problem/) [Chaim Potok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaim-potok/) > [Error is discipline through which we advance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/error-is-discipline-through-which-we-advance/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [I think it's important to earn your fan base and not just try to immediately advance to the top. If you ride to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/i-think-it-s-important-to-earn-your-fan-base-and-not-just-try-to/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [The Chinese public is deeply nationalist, which matters to China's unelected political leadership as much as U.S. nationalism does to American politicians. As China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-chinese-public-is-deeply-nationalist-which-matters-to-china-s/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Some might complain that nuclear disarmament is little more than a dream. But that ignores the very tangible benefits disarmament would bring for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/some-might-complain-that-nuclear-disarmament-is-little-more-than-a/) [Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/) > [Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/let-our-advance-worrying-become-advance-thinking-and-planning/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Let us not bankrupt our todays by paying interest on the regrets of yesterday and by borrowing in advance the troubles of tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-w-sockman-2/let-us-not-bankrupt-our-todays-by-paying-interest-on-the-regrets-of/) Ralph W. Sockman > [In times of failing health, don't hopelessly pray for the intervention of a mythical god; wish hopefully for an advance in medical science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-fowler/in-times-of-failing-health-don-t-hopelessly-pray-for-the-intervention/) [Steve Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-fowler/) > [Clearly, unless thinking beings inevitably wipe themselves out soon after developing technology, extraterrestrial intelligence could often be millions or billions of years in advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/clearly-unless-thinking-beings-inevitably-wipe-themselves-out-soon/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) Browse all 263 Advance quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracy rests upon two pillars: one, the principle that all men are equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and the other, the conviction that such equal opportunity will most advance civilization.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Louis D. Brandeis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the-principle-that-all-men-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the-principle-that-all-men-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/louis-d-brandeis-5049_advance_democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the_1150713.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/louis-d-brandeis-5049_advance_democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the_1150713.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d40/louis-d-brandeis-5049_advance_democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the_1150713.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Democracy rests upon two pillars: one, the principle that all men are equally entitled to life, liberty and…” — Louis D. Brandeis", "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": "Louis D. Brandeis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-d-brandeis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Democracy rests upon two pillars: one,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the-principle-that-all-men-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-d-brandeis/democracy-rests-upon-two-pillars-one-the-principle-that-all-men-are/#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 } } ] } ```