--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: (To the newly graduated) There never did…" description: "\"“(To the newly graduated) There never did, there never will, and there never can exist a parliament, or any description of men, or any generation of me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/thomas-paine-267_end-of-time_to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-t_1039197.png" --- # (To the newly graduated) There never did, there never… ![“(To the newly graduated) There never did, there never will, and there never can exist a parliament, or any description of men, or any generation of men, in any country, possessed of the right or the power of binding and controlling posterity to the "end of time", or of commanding for ever how the…” quote by Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/thomas-paine-267_end-of-time_to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-t_1039197.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/thomas-paine-267_end-of-time_to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-t_1039197.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/thomas-paine-267_end-of-time_to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-t_1039197.png) > ““(To the newly graduated) There never did, there never will, and there never can exist a parliament, or any description of men, or any generation of men, in any country, possessed of the right or the power of binding and controlling posterity to the "end of time", or of commanding for ever how the world shall be governed, or who shall govern it; and therefore all such clauses, acts or declarations, by which the makers of them attempt to do what they have neither the right nor the power to do, nor the power to execute, are in themselves null and void. Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself, in all cases, as the ages and generations which preceded it...Man has no property in man; neither has any generation a property in the generations which are to follow.”” [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. No generation has the right to bind future generations; each era must be free to determine its own governance. **In simple terms:** Future generations cannot be bound by current laws. Key Takeaway Respect generational autonomy. Themes freedom generational rights political legitimacy self‑determination Mood thoughtful serious Type political ethical When to use this quote - Constitution drafting - policy making - activism - education on civic rights Key Concepts Sovereignty intergenerational ethics political theory Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we owe future generations? - How can we balance present freedom with future impact? A Different Perspective Practical constraints may limit absolute freedom for future generations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [End of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-time/) [Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation/) [Generation Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-free-488838/) [Generation Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generation-men-539434/) [Man Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-generation-2258801/) [Men Generation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-generation-642755/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“There never did, there never will, and there never can, exist a Parliament, or any description of men, or any generation of men, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/there-never-did-there-never-will-and-there-never-can-exist-a/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [There never did, there never will, and there never can exist a parliament, or any description of men, or any generation of men, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/there-never-did-there-never-will-and-there-never-can-exist-a-2/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [There will never be a generation of great men until there has been a generation of free women - of free mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/there-will-never-be-a-generation-of-great-men-until-there-has-been-a/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [There will never be a generation of great men until there has been a generation of free women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/there-will-never-be-a-generation-of-great-men-until-there-has-been-a-2/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [The generation of men is like that of leaves. The wind scatters one year's leaves on the ground, but the forest burgeons and and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-iliad/the-generation-of-men-is-like-that-of-leaves-the-wind-scatters-one/) [The Iliad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-iliad/) > [A generation of men is like a generation of leaves; the wind scatters some leaves upon the ground, while others the burgeoning wood brings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/a-generation-of-men-is-like-a-generation-of-leaves-the-wind-scatters/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [If the present generation, or any other, are disposed to be slaves, it does not lessen the right of the succeeding generation to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/if-the-present-generation-or-any-other-are-disposed-to-be-slaves-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself in all cases as the ages and generations which preceded it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/every-age-and-generation-must-be-as-free-to-act-for-itself-in-all/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/every-age-and-generation-must-be-as-free-to-act-for-itself/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [If any generation of men ever possessed the right of dictating the mode by which the world should be governed for ever, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/if-any-generation-of-men-ever-possessed-the-right-of-dictating-the/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [I have a daughter. I have my imagination. I have friends. I, in no way, am going to louse that up with some idiot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viv-albertine/i-have-a-daughter-i-have-my-imagination-i-have-friends-i-in-no-way-am/) [Viv Albertine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viv-albertine/) > [A generation of men really built the NFL and gave guys like me a shot, and a lot of these guys are left out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-borland/a-generation-of-men-really-built-the-nfl-and-gave-guys-like-me-a-shot/) [Chris Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-borland/) > [If we create a generation of men who aren't getting an education, that's bad for women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gurian/if-we-create-a-generation-of-men-who-aren-t-getting-an-education-that/) [Michael Gurian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gurian/) > [A black man of my generation born in the late 1960s is more than twice as likely to go to prison in his lifetime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr/a-black-man-of-my-generation-born-in-the-late-1960s-is-more-than/) [James Forman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr/) > [When you touch the life of a man of this generation, that influence is felt through generations yet to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/when-you-touch-the-life-of-a-man-of-this-generation-that-influence-is/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) ## More by Thomas Paine > [“No man is prejudiced in favour of a thing, knowing it to be wrong. He is attached to it on the belief of its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/no-man-is-prejudiced-in-favour-of-a-thing-knowing-it-to-be-wrong-he/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [The book called the Bible has been voted by men, and decreed by human laws to be the word of God; and the disbelief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-book-called-the-bible-has-been-voted-by-men-and-decreed-by-human/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-argue-with-a-person-who-has-renounced-the-use-of-reason-is-like/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [One would think that a system loaded with such gross and vulgar absurdities as Scripture religion is could never have obtained credit; yet we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-would-think-that-a-system-loaded-with-such-gross-and-vulgar/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Commerce diminishes the spirit, both of patriotism and military defence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/commerce-diminishes-the-spirit-both-of-patriotism-and-military-defence/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What is it the Bible teaches us? - raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? - to believe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-is-it-the-bible-teaches-us-raping-cruelty-and-murder-what-is-it/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/those-who-expect-to-reap-the-blessings-of-freedom-must-like-men/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“It has been the practice of all Christian commentators on the Bible, and of all Christian priests and preachers, to impose the Bible on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/it-has-been-the-practice-of-all-christian-commentators-on-the-bible/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [But there are times when men have serious thoughts, and it is at such times, when they begin to think, that they begin to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/but-there-are-times-when-men-have-serious-thoughts-and-it-is-at-such/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Wisdom is not the purchase of a day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/wisdom-is-not-the-purchase-of-a-day/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Our citizenship in the United States is our national character. Our citizenship in any particular state is only our local distinction. By the latter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/our-citizenship-in-the-united-states-is-our-national-character-our/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Suspicion is the companion of mean souls, and the bane of all good society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/suspicion-is-the-companion-of-mean-souls-and-the-bane-of-all-good/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [“To pass from the extremes of danger to safety-from the tumult of war to the tranquility of peace, though sweet in contemplation, requires a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-pass-from-the-extremes-of-danger-to-safety-from-the-tumult-of-war/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [What more does man want to know than that the hand or power that made these things is divine, is omnipotent? Let him believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/what-more-does-man-want-to-know-than-that-the-hand-or-power-that-made/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) [Explore all 772 Thomas Paine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) ## More End of time quotes > [When an angel comes down and takes me away, memories of me and my songs will always stay until the end of time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/when-an-angel-comes-down-and-takes-me-away-memories-of-me-and-my/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [Pity the planet, all joy gone from this sweet volcanic cone; peace to our children when they fall in small war on the heel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lowell/pity-the-planet-all-joy-gone-from-this-sweet-volcanic-cone-peace-to/) [Robert Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lowell/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. At his first coming, he saved us from the penalty of sin and gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-coming-of-the-messianic-king-occurs-in-two-stages-at-his-first/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Who cares whether this is a poem or rhyme, I will love you until the end of time...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijeet/who-cares-whether-this-is-a-poem-or-rhyme-i-will-love-you-until-the/) [Abhijeet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijeet/) > [And the voices in the waves are always whispering to Florence, in their ceaseless murmuring, of love - of love, eternal and illimitable, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/and-the-voices-in-the-waves-are-always-whispering-to-florence-in/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Guns are going to be here until the end of time; the underworld is going to be here until the end of time. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/guns-are-going-to-be-here-until-the-end-of-time-the-underworld-is/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Purple haze all in my eyes, don't know if it's day or night. You got me blowin', blowin' my mind. Is it tomorrow or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/purple-haze-all-in-my-eyes-don-t-know-if-it-s-day-or-night-you-got-me/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [“He just wanted to live inside a moment of that life with her forever, to pluck it like a flower and press it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/he-just-wanted-to-live-inside-a-moment-of-that-life-with-her-forever/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [When I say I love you I have nothing to hide I think and dream about you all the time so when do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvette/when-i-say-i-love-you-i-have-nothing-to-hide-i-think-and-dream-about/) [Yvette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvette/) > [Be with the one who¦. Loves to see you smile and promises to make you laugh and giggle¦ The one Who supports you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-kostyla/be-with-the-one-who-loves-to-see-you-smile-and-promises-to-make-you/) [Karen Kostyla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-kostyla/) > [Babies are sweet. they are pure and they love you until the end of time. But what happens when a baby dies? Does the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaylynn-thompson/babies-are-sweet-they-are-pure-and-they-love-you-until-the-end-of/) [Kaylynn Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaylynn-thompson/) > [She said PICK UP WHAT'S YOURS & GET OUT! So I picked her up & started walking & She said, WHY ARE YOU CARRYING…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/she-said-pick-up-what-s-yours-get-out-so-i-picked-her-up-started/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [Listen to my heart can you hear it sing, telling me to give you everything. Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/listen-to-my-heart-can-you-hear-it-sing-telling-me-to-give-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As the German expression has it, the last judgement is the youngest day, and it is a day surpassing all days. Not that judgement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-blanchot/as-the-german-expression-has-it-the-last-judgement-is-the-youngest/) [Maurice Blanchot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-blanchot/) > [I love you, No matter what the future holds for us I will love you until the end of time, and beyond. These words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satyajit-chhotaray/i-love-you-no-matter-what-the-future-holds-for-us-i-will-love-you/) [Satyajit Chhotaray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satyajit-chhotaray/) [Browse all 311 End of time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“(To the newly graduated) There never did, there never will, and there never can exist a parliament, or any description of men, or any generation of men, in any country, possessed of the right or the power of binding and controlling posterity to the \"end of time\", or of commanding for ever how the world shall be governed, or who shall govern it; and therefore all such clauses, acts or declarations, by which the makers of them attempt to do what they have neither the right nor the power to do, nor the power to execute, are in themselves null and void. Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself, in all cases, as the ages and generations which preceded it...Man has no property in man; neither has any generation a property in the generations which are to follow.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Paine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-there-never-will-and-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "End of time" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-there-never-will-and-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/thomas-paine-267_end-of-time_to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-t_1039197.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/thomas-paine-267_end-of-time_to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-t_1039197.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/thomas-paine-267_end-of-time_to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-t_1039197.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“(To the newly graduated) There never did, there never will, and there never can exist a parliament, or any…” — Thomas Paine", "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": "Thomas Paine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“(To the newly graduated) There never...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-there-never-will-and-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/to-the-newly-graduated-there-never-did-there-never-will-and-there/#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 } } ] } ```