William Beveridge

state security stifle incentive opportunity voluntary action

"The State in organising security should not stifle incentive, opportunity, responsibility, in establishing a national minimum it should leave room and encouragement for voluntary action by each individual to provide more than the minimum for himself and his family."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

giants want disease ignorance squalor idleness reconstruction

"Want is one only of five giants on the road of reconstruction; the others are Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

object government glory ruler happiness common man

"The object of government in peace and in war is not the glory of rulers or of races, but the happiness of the common man."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

state master money free society freedom liberty

"The state is or can be master of money, but in a free society it is master of very little else."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

unemployment headache temperature explanation cause

"Unemployment is like a headache or a high temperature - unpleasant and exhausting but not carrying in itself any explanation of its cause."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

scrach pessimist defender privilege

"Scratch a pessimist and you will often find a defender of privilege."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

trouble democracy leadership lost desire

"The trouble in modern democracy is that men do not approach to leadership until they have lost the desire to lead anyone."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

believe hypothesis originator except experiment

"No one believes an hypothesis except its originator but everyone believes an experiment except the experimenter."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

human mind strange idea resist body protein

"The human mind likes a strange idea as little as the body likes a strange protein and resists it with a similar energy."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)

distinction critical attitude mind sceptical

"There is a very important distinction between a critical attitude of mind (or critical faculty) and a sceptical attitude."

— William Beveridge (1879-1963)