Sir Herbert Edward Read, DSO, MC (1893–1968) was an English anarchist, poet, and critic of literature and art.
The characteristic political attitude of today is not one of positive belief, but of despair. Use this quote
To realize that new world we must prefer the values of freedom and equality above all other values - above personal wealth, technical power and nationalism. Use this quote
Progress is measured by richness and intensity of experience - by a wider and deeper apprehension of the significance and scope of human existence. Use this quote
The slave may be happy, but happiness is not enough. Use this quote
The assumption is that the right kind of society is an organic being not merely analogous to an organic being, but actually a living structure with appetites and digestions, instincts and passions, intelligence and reason. Use this quote
I am not going to claim that modern anarchism has any direct relation to Roman jurisprudence; but I do claim that it has its basis in the laws of nature rather than in the state of nature. Use this quote
The worth of a civilization or a culture is not valued in the terms of its material wealth or military power, but by the quality and achievements of its representative individuals - its philosophers, its poets and its artists. Use this quote
It is already clear, after twenty years of socialism in Russia, that if you do not provide your society with a new religion, it will gradually revert to the old one. Use this quote
We may be sure that out of the ruins of our capitalist civilization a new religion will emerge, just as Christianity emerged from the ruins of the Roman civilization. Use this quote
I call religion a natural authority, but it has usually been conceived as a supernatural authority. Use this quote
