Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson, (1803-1882) American essayist, lecturer, and poet

Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote

“Democracy is morose, and runs to anarchy.”

Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nominalist and Realist, 1841

Ratings and Comments


E Archer, NYC

OK, I'll probably get into trouble with this, but does anyone else have a wife that cannot decide what she really wants -- that is like Democracy -- no sooner than we have chosen one direction, we get tired of it and vote to go into the other! We should be guided by wisdom, not passion. But how, right? ;-)

Mike, Norwalk

hmm, Archer, good luck :-)

My Name, Your Town,USA.

About the quote: I say "Only if we Allow it to be".

rocketmik, Upland, CA

"Your Town" is correct; Democracy is a tiring business that can lead to getting down upon oneself and the system. But, it is, as noted, "the worst, except for all of the rest." Democracy, when properly pursued, is rewarding beyond expectations--it is a good plan coming to fruition.

warren, olathe

The quote is correct for a true democracy. Fortunately we have modified it enough to make it more difficult for it to make drastic changes in a short amount of time. This enables us to hopefully come to our senses and change course before permanent damage to our country is a result. Cooler head then prevail. We need some very soon.

Logan, Memphis, TN

Ah, Emerson was a very educated man who knew well his history and philosophy. This is merely a restatement of Aristotelian thought.

jim kilpatrick, austin tx

Someone once said that the history of democracies is that they last about 200 or so years before they become some form of socialism. With political correctness running amok in the US, we are well on our way to becoming a nanny state where the government takes care of all our needs from cradle to grave, and , of course, with plenty of taxes to boot. To quote one of your commentators, "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers".

David, Saint Peters, MO

When you take a long look at it I suppose McCane is what a Republic form of government is suppose to look like. We can't all be right all the time.

E Archer, NYC

When is a democrat happy?  When he/she has successfully voted away the wealth of another into their own pockets.  Until then, they are miserable.

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