This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
The political problem of mankind is to combine three things: Economic Efficiency, Social Justice, and Individual Liberty.
Efficiency | Individual | Justice | Liberty | Mankind |
In the social production of their existence, human beings necessarily enter into determinate relations, independent of their will, relations of production, corresponding to a given stage of development of their material productive powers. The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation on which rises a legal and political superstructure and tow which correspond determinate forms of social consciousness. the mode of production of material life conditions the general process of social, political and spiritual life. It is not the consciousness of human beings which determines their existence, but their social existence determines their consciousness. At a certain stage of development, the material productive powers of society come into conflict with the existing relations of production or - this merely expresses the same things in terms of right - with the property relations in the framework of which they have thus far operated. From forms of development of the productive powers these relations turn into their fetters. Then begins an era of social revolution. The changes in the economic foundation lead sooner or later to the transformation of the whole immense superstructure.
Consciousness | Era | Existence | Life | Life | Property | Revolution | Right | Society | Will | Society |
The political unification of mankind cannot be realistically conceived except as part of [the] effort at self-transformation.
Max Lerner, fully Maxwell "Max" Alan Lerner, aka Mikhail Lerner
We demand of our political life greater certainty and greater perfection than we demand of our personal life.
Life | Life | Perfection |
Most people have convictions about what is right and wrong based on religious beliefs, cultural roots, family background, personal experiences, laws, organizational values, professional norms and political habits. These are not the best values to make ethical decisions by--not because they are unimportant, but because they are not universal.
Convictions | Family | People | Right | Wrong |
Nelson Mandela, fully Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
A political movement must keep in touch with reality and the prevailing conditions. Long speeches, the shaking of fists, the banging of tables, and strongly worded resolutions out of touch with the objective conditions do not bring about mass action and can do a great deal of harm to the organization and the struggle we serve.
Action | Harm | Organization | Reality | Struggle |
[Rakove’s Law of Principle and Politics] The citizen is influenced by principle in direct proportion to this distance from the political situation.
Noah Webster, fully Noah Webster, Jr.
It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political station. When a citizen gives his vote to a man of immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility. He sacrifices not only his own interest but that of his neighbor, and he betrays the interest of his country.
Important | Man | Men | Morality | Principles | Religion | Responsibility |
A person who reads and studies and converses on current events in science, philosophy, political will, in the process, escape from the dull self-centeredness, and his participatory awareness of life in its infinite vitality will tend to produce the excitement which is inherent in happiness. Unfortunately, thinking the interesting thoughts which create happiness is a disciplinary process which too few people employ.
Awareness | Events | Excitement | Life | Life | People | Philosophy | Science | Self | Thinking | Will | Awareness | Happiness |
There is a dishonor in being overcome by the love of money, or of wealth, or of political power, whether a man is frightened into surrender by the loss of them, or, having experienced the benefits of money and political corruption, is unable to rise above the seductions of them. For none of these are of a permanent or lasting nature; not to mention that no generous friendship ever sprang from them.
Corruption | Dishonor | Love of money | Love | Man | Money | Nature | Power | Surrender | Wealth | Friendship | Loss |
The study of history is in the truest sense an education and a training for political life... The most instructive, or rather the only, method of learning to bear with dignity the vicissitudes of fortune is to recall the catastrophes of others.
Dignity | Education | Fortune | History | Learning | Life | Life | Method | Sense | Study | Training | Vicissitudes |
Reinhold Niebuhr, fully Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr
Our best hope, both of a tolerable political harmony and of an inner peace, rests upon our ability to observe the limits of human freedom even while we responsibly exploit its creative possibilities.
A political victory, a rise in rents, the recovery of your sickness, or the return of your absent friend, or some other quite external event raises your spirits, and you think good days are preparing for you. Do not believe it. It can never be so. Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.
Robert Bellah, fully Robert Neelly Bellah
Freedom is perhaps the most resonant, deeply held American value. In some ways, it defines the good in both personal and political life. Yet freedom turns out to mean being left alone by others, not having other people’s values, ideas, or styles of life forced upon one, being free of arbitrary authority in work, family, and political life. What it is that one might do with that freedom is much more difficult for Americans to define.
Authority | Family | Freedom | Good | Ideas | Life | Life | People | Work |