To name a thing is easy: the difficulty is to discern it before its appearance. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon More Quotes by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon More Quotes From Pierre-Joseph Proudhon Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of government. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon government courage hands To be governed is to be watched, inspected, spied upon, directed, law-ridden, regulated, penned up, indoctrinated, preached at, checked, appraised, seized, censured, commanded, by beings who have neither title, nor knowledge, nor virtue. To be governed is to have every operation, every transaction, every movement noted, registered, counted, rated, stamped, measured, numbered, assessed, licensed, refused, authorized, indorsed, admonished, prevented, reformed, redressed, corrected. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon titles liberty law Democracy is nothing but the Tyranny of Majorities, the most abominable tyranny of all, for it is not based on the authority of a religion, not upon the nobility of a race, not on the merits of talents and of riches. It merely rests upon numbers and hides behind the name of the people. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon race names numbers All men are equal and free: society by nature, and destination, is therefore autonomous and ungovernable. If the sphere of activity of each citizen is determined by the natural division of work and by the choice he makes of a profession, if the social functions are combined in such a way as to produce a harmonious effect, order results from the free activity of all men; there is no government. Whoever puts a hand on me to govern me is an usurper and a tyrant; I declare him my enemy. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon men order hands When deeds speak, words are nothing. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon deeds-done inspirational life To be governed ... is to be watched, inspected, directed, indoctrinated, numbered, estimated, regulated, commanded, controlled, law-driven, preached at, spied upon, censured, checked, valued, enrolled - by creatures who have neither the right, nor the wisdom, nor the virtue to do so. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon libertarian liberty law The possessions of the rich are stolen property. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon prized-possessions stolen rich Communism is exploitation of the strong by the weak. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon mediocrity communism strong I stand ready to negotiate, but I want no part of laws: I acknowledge none; I protest against every order with which some authority may feel pleased on the basis of some alleged necessity to over-rule my free will. Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of government. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon government order hands To be governed is, under pretext of public utility and in the name of the general interest, to be laid under contribution, drilled, fleeced, exploited, monopolized, extorted from, exhausted, hoaxed and robbed; then, upon the slightest resistance, at the first word of complaint, to be repressed, fined, vilified, annoyed, hunted down, pulled about, beaten, disarmed, bound, imprisoned, shot, judged, condemned, banished, sacrificed, sold, betrayed, and, to crown all, ridiculed, derided, outraged, dishonored. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon annoyed government names the government can do nothing for you. But you can do everything for yourselves Pierre-Joseph Proudhon government can-do In any given society the authority of man over man runs in inverse proportion to the intellectual development of that society. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon intellectual running men The social revolution is seriously compromised if it comes through a political revolution. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon political-revolution social ifs I do not wish to be either governor nor governed! Pierre-Joseph Proudhon governors wish Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by the weak. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon communism strong weak The newspapers are the cemeteries of ideas. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon cemetery newspapers ideas I build no system. I ask an end to privilege, the abolition of slavery, equality of rights, and the reign of law. Justice, nothing else; that is the alpha and omega of my argument: to others I leave the business of governing the world. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon abolition-of-slavery rights law The great are only great because we are on our knees. Let us rise! Pierre-Joseph Proudhon knees courage Anarchy is... a form of government or constitution in which public and private consciousness, formed through the development of science and law, is alone sufficient to maintain order and guarantee all liberties. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon government law order The proprietor, producing neither by his own labor nor by his implement, and receiving products in exchange for nothing, is either a parasite or a thief. Pierre-Joseph Proudhon parasites receiving thieves
