It is even so in a commonwealth and in the councils of princes; if ill opinions cannot be quite rooted out, and you cannot cure some received vice according to your wishes, you must not, therefore, abandon the commonwealth, for the same reasons as you should not forsake the ship in a storm because you cannot command the winds. You are not obliged to assault people with discourses that are out of their road, when you see that their received notions must prevent your making an impression upon them: you ought rather to cast about and to manage things with all the dexterity in your power, so that, if you are not able to make them go well, they may be as little ill as possible; for, except all men were good, everything cannot be right, and that is a blessing that I do not at present hope to see. Thomas More
About This Quote

Thomas Hobbes, a 17th century English philosopher, was an influential figure in the foundation of modern political science. He is considered the father of modern political philosophy. Hobbes’ philosophy is known by his famous phrase, "Leviathan." This concept is the basis for the concept of social contract theory. The Leviathan is a metaphor for the absolute power by which all are bound to obey an absolute ruler, with no exceptions.

Hobbes’ argument was that people are bound to obey the law only if they feel safe doing so. If people do not feel secure in their lives, they will not be able to allow themselves to be governed by law and therefore will not obey the laws of the commonwealth. Without this security, people will rebel against their leaders and may even threaten violence against them.

Source: Utopia

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