It serves society as the brain serves a living being.
Incapable, inconsiderate, extravagant, engrossing, it often abuses
its position, overstraining or misleading the body for which it
should care, and which it should direct. But, taking all things
into account, whatever it may do, more good than harm is done, for
through it the body stands erect, marches on and guides its steps.
Without it there is no organized deliberate action, serviceable to
the whole body. In it alone do we find the comprehensive views,
knowledge of the members of which it consists and of their aims, an
idea of outward relationships, full and accurate information, in
short, the superior intelligence which conceives what is best for
the common interests, and adapts means to ends. If it falters and
is no longer obeyed, if it is forced and pushed from without by a
violent pressure, it ceases to control public affairs, and the
social organization retrogrades by many steps. Through the
dissolution of society, and the isolation of individuals, each man
returns to his original feeble state, while power is vested in
passing aggregates that like whirlwinds spring up from the human
dust.
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