AS

Algernon Sidney

41quotes

Algernon Sidney


Full Name and Common Aliases


Algernon Sidney was born as Alured Sidney on November 1623 in Northamptonshire, England. He is also known by his pen name, Alegre.

Birth and Death Dates


November 1623 – August 1683

Nationality and Profession(s)


English politician, historian, philosopher, and a prominent figure of the English Civil War period. Sidney was also a member of Parliament and played a significant role in shaping the country's constitutional history.

Early Life and Background


Algernon Sidney was born into an aristocratic family, with his father, Robert Sidney, being a prominent courtier to King James I. Algernon received a classical education at Eton College and later studied law at Oxford University. His early life was marked by the English Civil War, which had a profound impact on his development as a politician and historian.

Major Accomplishments


Sidney played a crucial role in shaping the constitutional history of England during the 17th century. He was a key figure in the Parliamentarian movement, advocating for constitutional monarchy, individual liberties, and an end to absolute power. Sidney also wrote extensively on politics, history, and philosophy, producing several influential works that continue to be studied by historians today.

Notable Works or Actions


Some of Algernon's most notable works include:

_Discourses Concerning Government_ (1698) – a treatise on constitutional monarchy and the nature of government.
 _Court Maxims_ (1714) – a collection of maxims on politics, morality, and personal conduct.

Impact and Legacy


Algernon Sidney's contributions to English history are still studied by scholars today. His advocacy for individual liberties, constitutional monarchy, and an end to absolute power has had a lasting impact on the development of democratic governments worldwide.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered


Sidney is widely quoted due to his insightful writings on politics, morality, and personal conduct. His maxims and treatises continue to be studied by historians and scholars seeking to understand the complexities of government and human nature.

Quotes by Algernon Sidney

Liberty cannot be preserved, if the manners of the people are corrupted.
"
Liberty cannot be preserved, if the manners of the people are corrupted.
AS
Fruits are always of the same nature with the seeds and roots from which they come, and trees are known by the fruits they bear: as a man begets a man, and a beast a beast, that society of men which constitutes a government upon the foundation of justice.
"
Fruits are always of the same nature with the seeds and roots from which they come, and trees are known by the fruits they bear: as a man begets a man, and a beast a beast, that society of men which constitutes a government upon the foundation of justice.
AS
Who will wear a shoe that hurts him, because the shoe-maker tells him ’tis well made?
"
Who will wear a shoe that hurts him, because the shoe-maker tells him ’tis well made?
AS
It is not necessary to light a candle to the sun.
"
It is not necessary to light a candle to the sun.
AS
God helps those who help themselves.
"
God helps those who help themselves.
AS
Tis hard to comprehend how one man can come to be master of many, equal to himself in right, unless it be by consent or by force.
"
Tis hard to comprehend how one man can come to be master of many, equal to himself in right, unless it be by consent or by force.
AS
#men
Violence and fraud can create no right.
"
Violence and fraud can create no right.
AS
#economics
I will believe in the right of one man to govern a nation despotically when I find a man born unto the world with boots and spurs, and a nation with saddles on their backs.
"
I will believe in the right of one man to govern a nation despotically when I find a man born unto the world with boots and spurs, and a nation with saddles on their backs.
AS
#men
[I]f vice and corruption prevail, liberty cannot subsist; but if virtue have the advantage, arbitrary power cannot be established.
"
[I]f vice and corruption prevail, liberty cannot subsist; but if virtue have the advantage, arbitrary power cannot be established.
AS
#vices
Nay, all laws must fall, human societies that subsist by them be dissolved, and all innocent persons be exposed to the violence of the most wicked, if men might not justly defend themselves against injustice by their own natural right, when the ways prescribed by publick authority cannot be taken.
"
Nay, all laws must fall, human societies that subsist by them be dissolved, and all innocent persons be exposed to the violence of the most wicked, if men might not justly defend themselves against injustice by their own natural right, when the ways prescribed by publick authority cannot be taken.
AS
#fall
Showing 1 to 10 of 41 results