"When mankind first saw the necessity of government, it is probable that many had conceived the desire of ruling"
About this Quote
Clarkson’s line quietly punctures the comforting myth that government is born mainly from collective wisdom. He grants the premise that people “saw the necessity” of organization at some early moment, then pivots: the same dawn of civic need also sparked an appetite for domination. The sentence is built like a trapdoor. “It is probable” sounds modest, almost scientific, but it smuggles in a hard accusation: power doesn’t arrive as a neutral tool; it attracts would-be owners.
The subtext is less about ancient history than about a recurring psychological pattern. Wherever governance becomes unavoidable - to settle disputes, coordinate resources, enforce rules - a second market opens up: the competition to control those levers. Clarkson frames “ruling” not as a burden reluctantly assumed but as a desire, a craving that can precede and shape institutions. That matters because it reframes political origins as contested territory, not a social contract sealed in good faith.
Context sharpens the bite. Clarkson was a leading British abolitionist, steeped in the machinery of Parliament, empire, and moral campaigning. He watched how “necessary” systems - trade, law, colonial administration - could be weaponized to rationalize exploitation. Read through that lens, the quote is a warning: institutional legitimacy is always shadowed by opportunism. Government may be necessary, but necessity is exactly what makes it so easy to hijack.
The subtext is less about ancient history than about a recurring psychological pattern. Wherever governance becomes unavoidable - to settle disputes, coordinate resources, enforce rules - a second market opens up: the competition to control those levers. Clarkson frames “ruling” not as a burden reluctantly assumed but as a desire, a craving that can precede and shape institutions. That matters because it reframes political origins as contested territory, not a social contract sealed in good faith.
Context sharpens the bite. Clarkson was a leading British abolitionist, steeped in the machinery of Parliament, empire, and moral campaigning. He watched how “necessary” systems - trade, law, colonial administration - could be weaponized to rationalize exploitation. Read through that lens, the quote is a warning: institutional legitimacy is always shadowed by opportunism. Government may be necessary, but necessity is exactly what makes it so easy to hijack.
Quote Details
| Topic | Leadership |
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