Editorial note: If you have not yet read our mission statement above, please do so in order that you can put our blogs in context. 

Paris, 30 November 2012

Plaque spotted today on a wall next to the rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter of Paris:

“Ils ne sont grands que parce que nous sommes à genoux.”

Étienne de la Boétie (1530-1563). French political writer and sonneteer. Aperçu taken from his “Discours de la servitude volontaire”, an analysis of tyranny published posthumously in 1576. De la Boétie was a friend of the essayist Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592).

English version of de la Boétie’s aphorism:

“They are big only because we are on our knees.”

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 You might perhaps care to view some of our earlier posts.  For instance:

1. Why? or How? That is the question (3 Jan 2012)

2. Partitocracy v. Democracy (20 July 2012)

3. The shoddiest possible goods at the highest possible prices (2 Feb 2012)

4. Capitalism in practice  (4 July 2012) 

5.Ladder  (21 June 2012)

 6. A tale of two cities (1)  (6 June 2012)

 7. A tale of two cities (2)  (7 June 2012)

 8. Where’s the beef? Ontology and tinned meat (31 Jan 2012)

Every so often we shall change this sample of previously published posts.

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