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Quotation from Essays, Moral and Political (selection) by David Hume
“as Force is always on the side of the governed, the governors have nothing to support them but opinion. It is, therefore, on opinion only that government is founded”
Essays, Moral and Political (selection), Of the First Principles of Government (John Long selection (London, early 20th century), Project Gutenberg text)
Hume's answer to the question of how the many are governed by the few.
Citation: "as Force is always on the side of the governed, the governors have nothing to support them but opinion. It is, therefore, on opinion only that government is founded" — David Hume, Essays, Moral and Political (selection), Of the First Principles of Government (John Long selection (London, early 20th century), Project Gutenberg text). (id hume-political-essays-q1)
Portrait: David Hume, Allan Ramsay, Public domain.
