Constitutions become the ultimate tyranny, " Paul said. "They’re organized power on such a scale as to be overwhelming. The constitution is social power mobilized and it has no conscience. It can crush the highest and the lowest, removing all dignity and individuality. It has an unstable balance point and no limitations. Frank Herbert
About This Quote

The quotations above are very beautiful. They are truly filled with wisdom. It is also interesting to note that the author of this quote is not Paul but rather William Shakespeare. However, it is this quote that truly speaks to the nature of the constitution. Paul continues by saying, "It's a social power organized on such a scale as to be overwhelming.

The constitution is social power mobilized and it has no conscience. It can crush the highest and the lowest, removing all dignity and individuality. It has an unstable balance point and no limitations." The one thing that Paul is correct about in this quote is that the constitution is indeed a massive force in society.

However, he failed to see that there are checks on this force in society which are vital for maintaining society in check. What Paul fails to see in his quote is that without these checks on this massive force in society, it would become tyrannical in nature in a way that cannot be mistaken by its citizens. We have here an example of how important it is for us to understand how our constitution works and how we can make it work better for all of us.

Source: Dune Messiah

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