How to Understand Politics: What the Humanities Can Say to Science (2007)
Context: People want to stand for something, which means opposing those who stand for something else. In the course of opposing they will often resort to insults and name-calling, which are normal in politics though never in your interest. The demand for more civility in politics today should be directed toward improving the quality of our insults, seeking civility in wit rather than blandness.
“Civil servants should keep out of politics and politics should be kept out of the civil service”
House of Commons speech 1875 Thomson page 233
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Alexander Mackenzie 35
2nd Prime Minister of Canada 1822–1892Related quotes
On BBC Radio 4's Today programme http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6469293.stm, 20 March, 2007.
On how Singapore cannot afford the luxury of multiparty politics, 1975 http://books.google.com/books?id=4dE0AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA322&lpg=PA322&dq=300+were+to+crash+in+one+Jumbo+jet,+then+Singapore+will+disintegrate&source=bl&ots=8x2BWCDeVq&sig=VWl7jJHHDzDXYqLLJw39k8NrEkY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RBbsUsPvF-bSsATvuICoCA&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=300%20were%20to%20crash%20in%20one%20Jumbo%20jet%2C%20then%20Singapore%20will%20disintegrate&f=false http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1975/5/13/in-lee-kuan-yews-singapore-prosperity/#
1970s
“A Friedman doctrine‐- The Social Responsibility Of Business Is to Increase Its Profits” (Sept. 1970)
“For we see that man is a civil and political animal, and is naturally inclined to civilization.”
De concordantia catholica (The Catholic Concordance) (1434)
Source: Autobiography of Mother Jones
"The Clash of Civilizations?," in Foreign Affairs (1993)
Context: It is my hypothesis that the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great divisions among humankind and the dominating source of conflict will be cultural. Nation-states will remain the most powerful actors in world affairs, but the principal conflicts of global politics will occur between nations and groups of different civilizations. The clash of civilizations will dominate global politics. The fault lines between civilizations will be the battle lines of the future.
Source: 2010s, Marked for Death (2012), Ch. 3: "Islamofascism", p. 45
“Politeness and civility are the best capital ever invested in business.”
Ch. 17: "Be polite and kind to your customers" http://www.fourmilab.ch/etexts/www/barnum/moneygetting/moneygetting_chap18.html
Art of Money Getting (1880)