A democracy is a government in the hands of men of low birth, no property, and vulgar employment

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.

Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government.

It is clearly better that property should be private, but the use of it common; and the special business of the legislator is to create in men this benevolent disposition.

If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost.

Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms.