Alexander Hamilton Quotes

Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755 in West Indies. Orphaned at a very young age, he became a clerk in a general store and was immensely appreciated for his work and writing skills. From the time he was in college, he was deeply interested in politics and wrote several pamphlets on the workings of the government of England and America. Hamilton joined the military in 1775 and left service in 1783 as a Colonel. Later, he joined politics and became the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton was a political philosopher and his strong political thoughts and theories were the ideals that he followed in his political career. Let us look at some of the quotes by Alexander Hamilton, that reflects his deep knowledge of human nature, politics and government.

Quotes on Human Nature

"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."

"Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal."

"I never expect to see a perfect work from an imperfect man."

"When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men observe no bounds of moderation."

"A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous."

"In the main it will be found that a power over a man's support (salary) is a power over his will."

"There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism."

"Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because it may have been planned by those whom they dislike."

"The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right."

"The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right."

Quotes on Politics and Government

"Even to observe neutrality you must have a strong government."

"It's not tyranny we desire; it's a just, limited, federal government."

"Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint."
"It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of society against the injustice of the other part."

"Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things."

"In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution."

"In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed, and in the next place, oblige it to control itself."

"If mankind were to resolve to agree in no institution of government, until every part of it had been adjusted to the most exact standard of perfection, society would soon become a general scene of anarchy, and the world a desert."

"If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify."

"It has been observed that a pure democracy if it were practicable would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position is more false than this. The ancient democracies in which the people themselves deliberated never possessed one good feature of government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure deformity."

This political philosopher, also quoted on many other topics relating to constitution, republic, statesmanship, etc. and held a strong influence in the public councils.