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Quote from Alfred North Whitehead,


"The creation of the world -- said Plato -- is the victory of persuasion over force... Civilization is the maintenance of social order, by its own inherent persuasiveness as embodying the nobler alternative. The recourse to force, however unavoidable, is a disclosure of the failure of civilization, either in the general society or in a remnant of individuals... Now the intercourse between individuals and between social groups takes one of these two forms: force or persuasion. Commerce is the great example of intercourse by way of persuasion. War, slavery, and governmental compulsion exemplify the reign of force."


By:

Alfred North Whitehead (more quotes by Alfred North Whitehead or books by/about Alfred North Whitehead)


(1861-1947)

Source:

in Adventures of Ideas

Categories:

Compulsion

Rating:

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