Demand Quote by William Graham Sumner
“The invectives against capital in the hands of those who have it are double-faced, and when turned about are nothing but demands for capital in the hands of those who have it not, in order that they may do with it just what those who have it now are doing with it.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: 'The Social Duties of the State' by William Graham Sumner, 1883
Critiques of capital owners mask demands for wealth redistribution, revealing hypocrisy in economic arguments.
In simple terms: Capital owners criticize while wanting the same benefits.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden motives in economic debates.
Themes
economics
hypocrisy
power
wealth distribution
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy analysis
- public discourse
- activism
- social justice
- academic debate
Key Concepts
Marxism
class struggle
political rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- How do power dynamics shape economic rhetoric?
- What alternative frameworks address wealth inequality?
A Different Perspective
Such critiques may oversimplify complex economic systems.
![“The yearning after equality [in economic outcome] is the offspring of envy and covetousness, and there is no possible plan for satisfying that yearning which can do aught else than rob A to give to B; consequently all such plans nourish some of the meanest vices of human nature, waste capital, and…” quote by William Graham Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9b4/william-graham-sumner-5011_can-do_the-yearning-after-equality-in-economic_454035.jpg)
