“When even the dictators of today appeal to reason, they mean that they possess the most tanks.”
Source: "The End of Reason" (1941), p. 28.
Context: When even the dictators of today appeal to reason, they mean that they possess the most tanks. They were rational enough to build them; others should be rational enough to yield to them.
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Max Horkheimer 61
German philosopher and sociologist 1895–1973Related quotes
“Today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession.”
Source: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
“The only argument which appealed to the dictators was that of force.”
Baldwin to the Cabinet in 1937 during his last days as Premier, as quoted in The Collapse of British Power (1972) by Correlli Barnett, p. 449 <!-- Methuen -->
1937
Context: In none of these countries [Russia, Italy and Germany] was it possible to make to the people such an appeal as went home to the heart of our people, an appeal based on Christianity or ethics … The whole outlook in the dictator countries was so completely different from ours that for a long time people here could not understand how it was possible for these nations not to respond to the same kind of appeal as that to which our people responded. But they were beginning to realise it now... The only argument which appealed to the dictators was that of force.
Source: The Great Seesaw: A New View of the Western World, 1750-2000 (1988)
pg 102.
Farewell to Reason (1987)
Source: Influencing men in business, 1911, p. 133
Context: Goods offered as means of gaining social prestige make their appeals to one of the most profound of the human instincts. In monarchies this instinct is regarded as a mere tendency to imitate royalty. In America, with no such excuse, the eagerness with which we attempt to secure merchandise used by the "swell and swagger" is absurd, but it makes it possible for the advertiser to secure more responses than might otherwise be possible.. As an illustration of this fact we need but to look at the successful advertisements of clothing, automobiles, etc. The quality of the goods themselves does not seem to be so important as the apparent prestige given by the possession of the goods.
“The most terrible iron is not missiles, aircraft, and tanks, but shackles.”
Source: https://twitter.com/kyivindependent/status/1562384096130736128
