Quote#God & Faith
The plebeian must expect to find himself neglected and despised in…
Quote byWilliam Godwin · 1756–1836
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793), Book V, Chapter 10, "Of Hereditary Distinction".
English (original)
The plebeian must expect to find himself neglected and despised in proportion as he is remiss in cultivation the objects of esteem; the lord will always be surrounded with sycophants and slaves. The lord therefore has no motive to industry and exertion; no stimulus to rouse him from the lethargic 'oblivious pool', out of which every human intellect originally arose.
— William Godwin
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