Affection Quote by Percy Bysshe Shelley
““You ought not to love the individuals of your domestic circle less, but to love those who exist beyond it more. Once make the feelings of confidence and of affection universal, and the distinctions of property and power will vanish; nor are they to be abolished without substituting something equivalent in mischief to them, until all mankind shall acknowledge an entire community of rights.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: 1840, "On the Universality of Rights"
Loving beyond one’s immediate circle creates universal confidence, erasing property and power divisions.
In simple terms: Expand love to all humanity.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate universal compassion.
Themes
equality
human rights
philosophy
Mood
hopeful
serious
Type
theoretical
political
When to use this quote
- community organizing
- education reform
- policy advocacy
Key Concepts
social contract
ethical universalism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we foster broader empathy?
- What mechanisms dissolve property‑based hierarchies?
A Different Perspective
Changing entrenched power structures is difficult.
