How false is the conception, how frantic the pursuit, of that treacherous phantom which men call Liberty: most treacherous, indeed, of all phantoms; for the feeblest ray of reason might surely show us, that not only its attainment, but its being, was impossible. There is no such thing in the universe. There can never be. The stars have it not; the earth has it not; the sea has it not; and we men have the mockery and semblance of it only for our heaviest punishment.

Summary

This quote emphasizes the author's belief that the pursuit of liberty is futile and illusory. The author argues that liberty is a deceptive concept, impossible to achieve or even exist in reality. They assert that liberty does not exist in the world, neither in natural elements such as stars, earth, and the sea, nor within human beings themselves. Instead, humans are condemned to experience only an imitation or mockery of liberty, which serves as a form of punishment rather than actual freedom.

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