“Owing to the vigorous and elastic strength of man’s original power, necessity does not often require anything save the removal of oppressive bonds.”

— Wilhelm Von Humboldt

The Limits of State Action (1792)
Context: Owing to the vigorous and elastic strength of man’s original power, necessity does not often require anything save the removal of oppressive bonds. From all these reasons (to which a more detailed analysis of the subject might add many more) it will be seen, that there is no other principle than this so perfectly accordant with the reverence we owe to the individuality of spontaneous beings, and with the solicitude for freedom which that reverence inspires. Finally, the only infallible means of securing power and authority to laws, is to see that they originate in this principle alone.

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Wilhelm Von Humboldt 35

German (Prussian) philosopher, government functionary, dipl… 1767–1835

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