15 Frances Wright Quotes for You to Enjoy

Frances Wright

Scottish Writer

Born: Sep 6, 1795

Died: Dec 13, 1852

Belief Good Liberty Mind Nature Will

Related authors: Alexander McCall Smith Armando Iannucci Grant Morrison Henry Drummond Jane Welsh Carlyle John Burnside Robert Louis Stevenson Steven Moffat

The simplest principles become difficult of practice, when habits, formed in error, have been fixed by time, and the simplest truths hard to receive when prejudice has warped the mind. Frances Wright

Time Mind Practice Become Difficult Habits Simplest Principles Been Error Truths Fixed Formed Prejudice Warped Hard Receive

Now here is a departure from the first principle of true ethics. Here we find ideas of moral wrong and moral right associated with something else than beneficial action. The consequent is, we lose sight of the real basis of morals, and substitute a false one. Frances Wright

Ethics First Lose Action Else Beneficial Sight Moral Find Morals Something Something Else Wrong True Ideas Principle Real False Than Departure Substitute Now Right Here Basis Associated Consequent

Speak of change, and the world is in alarm. And yet where do we not see change? Frances Wright

Change Speak World See Where Alarm

Do we exert our own liberties without injury to others - we exert them justly; do we exert them at the expense of others - unjustly. And, in thus doing, we step from the sure platform of liberty upon the uncertain threshold of tyranny. Frances Wright

Liberty Tyranny Threshold Own Others Our Liberties Uncertain Step Thus Sure Without Exert Doing Expense Them Justly Platform Injury

However novel it may appear, I shall venture the assertion, that, until women assume the place in society which good sense and good feeling alike assign to them, human improvement must advance but feebly. Frances Wright

Good Women Feeling Sense Society Assume Alike Must Good Sense Shall Advance Until Venture However Improvement May Human Place Which Them Appear Novel Assertion Good Feeling Assign

Our religious belief usurps the place of our sensations, our imaginations of our judgment. We no longer look to actions, trace their consequences, and then deduce the rule; we first make the rule, and then, right or wrong, force the action to square with it. Frances Wright

First Judgment Action Consequences Our Rule Religious Religious Belief Wrong Longer Look Trace Force Make Square Sensations Place Then Deduce Actions Belief Right Imaginations

Awaken its powers, and it will respect itself. Frances Wright

Respect Will Powers Itself Awaken

But while human liberty has engaged the attention of the enlightened, and enlisted the feelings of the generous of all civilized nations, may we not enquire if this liberty has been rightly understood? Frances Wright

Liberty Feelings Rightly Has-Been Civilized Civilized Nations Attention Generous Understood Been May Human Nations While Engaged Enlightened Enlisted

He who lives in the single exercise of his mental faculties, however usefully or curiously directed, is equally an imperfect animal with the man who knows only the exercise of muscles. Frances Wright

Man Animal Single Mental Directed Only Imperfect Faculties He Knows Equally Exercise However His Curiously Who Lives Muscles

It will appear evident upon attentive consideration that equality of intellectual and physical advantages is the only sure foundation of liberty, and that such equality may best, and perhaps only, be obtained by a union of interests and cooperation in labor. Frances Wright

The existing principle of selfish interest and competition has been carried to its extreme point; and, in its progress, has isolated the heart of man, blunted the edge of his finest sensibilities, and annihilated all his most generous impulses and sympathies. Frances Wright

Man Selfish Heart Competition Progress Edge Extreme Carried Has-Been Finest Point Generous Most Principle Isolated Been His Existing Impulses Sensibilities Blunted Interest Sympathies

We hear of the wealth of nations, of the powers of production, of the demand and supply of markets, and we forget that these words mean no more, if they mean any thing, then the happiness, and the labor, and the necessities of men. Frances Wright

Happiness Words Wealth Men Markets More Supply Demand Powers Hear Labor Forget Any Nations Mean Then Production Thing Necessities

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