William Godwin Quotes

William Godwin
William Godwin
English Writer
Born: Mar 3, 1756
Died: Apr 7, 1836
Great Life Love Man Men Nature
Related authors: Arthur C. Clarke D. H. Lawrence Douglas Adams Gilbert K. Chesterton John Ruskin Ricky Gervais Rudyard Kipling Thomas Paine
Government was intended to suppress injustice, but its effect has been to embody and perpetuate it. William Godwin
Government Injustice Has-Been Embody Suppress Been Perpetuate Effect Intended
Law is made for man and not man for the law. Wherever we can be sure that the most valuable interests of a nation require that we should decide one way, that way we ought to decide. William Godwin
Man Law Valuable Made Nation Ought Way One-Way Most Sure Decide Wherever Interests Require Should
Love conquers all difficulties, surmounts all obstacles, and effects what to any other power would be impossible. William Godwin
Love Impossible Power Difficulties Other Would Would-Be Obstacles Effects Any Conquers
Woe to the man who is always busy - hurried in a turmoil of engagements, from occupation to occupation, and with no seasons interposed of recollection, contemplation and repose! Such a man must inevitably be gross and vulgar, and hard and indelicate - the sort of man with whom no generous spirit would desire to hold intercourse. William Godwin
Man Busy Recollection Must Would Spirit Generous Contemplation Sort Vulgar Occupation Always Inevitably Woe Repose Hold Intercourse Turmoil Engagements Gross Hard Who Whom Seasons Desire
It is probable that there is no one thing that it is of eminent importance for a child to learn. William Godwin
One Thing Eminent No-One Importance Learn Child Probable Thing
Revolution is engendered by an indignation with tyranny, yet is itself pregnant with tyranny. William Godwin
Tyranny Revolution Indignation Itself Pregnant
I am an enemy to revolutions. I abhor, both from temper and from the clearest judgment I am able to form, all violent convulsions in the affairs of men. William Godwin
Enemy Men Judgment Temper Abhor Able Both Clearest Am Affairs Revolutions Form Violent
The love of independence and dislike of unjust treatment is the source of a thousand virtues. William Godwin
Love Independence Unjust Virtues Thousand Source Dislike Treatment
In the two novels I have published, it was my fortune at different times, and from different persons, to hear the most unqualified censure long before it was possible for me to hear the voice of the public. But my temper was not altered, nor my courage subdued. William Godwin
Me Courage Long Before Possible Temper Unqualified Voice Most Altered Hear Nor Subdued Times Different Censure Public Persons Fortune Different Times Novels Published Two
I am most peremptorily of opinion against putting children extremely forward. If they desire it themselves, I would not balk them, for I love to attend to these unsophisticated indications. But otherwise, 'festina lente' is my maxim in education. William Godwin
Love Education Otherwise Extremely Would Attend Putting Most Balk Opinion Am Maxim Children Against Them Themselves Forward Desire
Without imagination, there can be no genuine ardor in any pursuit or for any acquisition, and without imagination, there can be no genuine morality, no profound feeling of other men's sorrow, no ardent and persevering anxiety for their interests. William Godwin
Anxiety Men Feeling Imagination Other Morality Ardent Ardor Pursuit Sorrow Without Genuine Persevering Any Acquisition Interests Profound
My temper is of a recluse and contemplative cast; had it been otherwise, I should, perhaps, on some former occasions, have entered into the active concerns of the world and not have been connected with it merely as a writer of books. William Godwin
World Active Otherwise Books Recluse Entered Temper Some Cast Writer Had Merely Contemplative Perhaps Concerns Occasions Been Former Should Connected
During my academical life, and from this time forward, I was indefatigable in my search after truth. I read all the authors of greatest repute, for and against the Trinity, original sin, and the most disputed doctrines, but I was not yet of an understanding sufficiently ripe for impartial decision, and all my inquiries terminated in Calvinism. William Godwin
Life Truth Time Decision Understanding Trinity Ripe Impartial Sin Terminated Most Doctrines Read Greatest Authors After Against Repute Forward Original Search Original Sin Disputed Sufficiently
The four principal oral instructors to whom I feel my mind indebted for improvement were Joseph Fawcet, Thomas Holcroft, George Dyson, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. William Godwin
Mind Thomas Indebted Joseph Feel Instructor Principal George Were Improvement Oral Samuel Taylor Whom Four
Till 1782, I believed in the doctrine of Calvin: that is, that the majority of mankind were objects of divine condemnation and that their punishment would be everlasting. The 'Systeme de la Nature,' read about the beginning of that year, changed my opinion and made me a Deist. William Godwin
Nature Me Made Year Beginning Changed Punishment Would Would-Be About Objects Divine Doctrine Majority Read Opinion Till Condemnation Were La Mankind Believed Everlasting
With respect to my religious sentiments, I have the firmest assurance and tranquillity. I have faithfully endeavoured to improve the faculties and opportunities God has given me, and I am perfectly easy about the consequences. William Godwin
God Me Respect Opportunities Consequences Assurance Easy Religious About Given Faculties Perfectly Faithfully Am Improve Tranquillity Sentiments
Harshness and unkindness are relative. The appearance of them may be the fruits of the greatest kindness. William Godwin
Kindness Unkindness Relative Harshness Greatest May Fruits Them Appearance
In the summer of 1791, I gave up my concern in the 'New Annual Register,' the historical part of which I had written for seven years, and abdicated, I hope forever, the task of performing a literary labour, the nature of which should be dictated by anything but the promptings of my own mind. William Godwin
Hope Nature Mind Own Gave Seven Summer My Own Had Part Written New Performing Annual Concern Years Historical Up Dictated Forever Labour Task Literary Anything Which Register Should
We have, all of us, our duties. Every action of our lives, and every word that we utter, will either conduce to or detract from the discharge of our duty. William Godwin
Word Will Duty Action Every Our Our Lives Discharge Duties Either Us Lives Utter
We cannot, any of us, do all the things of which mankind stand in need; we must have fellow-labourers. William Godwin
We Cannot Must Any Cannot Which Mankind Us Stand Things Need
Duty is that mode of action which constitutes the best application of the capacity of the individual to the general advantage. William Godwin
Best Duty Action General Individual Advantage Mode Which Capacity Application
Soundness of understanding is connected with freedom of enquiry; consequently, opinion should, as far as public security will admit, be exempted from restraint. William Godwin
Freedom Will Understanding Security Admit Restraint Opinion As Far As Public Far Should Connected Consequently
The world is all alike. Those that seem better than their neighbours are only more artful. They mean the same thing, though they take a different road. William Godwin
World Better Same Thing Alike Those Though Neighbours Seem More Only Take Road Artful Than Same Different Mean Thing
Invisible things are the only realities; invisible things alone are the things that shall remain. William Godwin
Alone Only Shall Remain Invisible Realities Things
In infamy, it is wisely provided that he who stands highest in the ranks of society has the heaviest load to sustain. William Godwin
Society Ranks Highest He Wisely Provided Infamy Heaviest Sustain Who Stands Load
What is high birth to him to whom high birth has never been the theme of his contemplation? What is a throne to him who has never dreamed of a throne? William Godwin
Birth High Dreamed Throne Never Contemplation Him Been His Theme Who Whom
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