| 245 | Totalitarian states destroy friendships and community spirit [Plato] |
| 6305 | To retain a conquered state, wipe out the ruling family, and preserve everything else [Machiavelli] |
| 6306 | People are vengeful, so be generous to them, or destroy them [Machiavelli] |
| 6308 | A sensible conqueror does all his harmful deeds immediately, because people soon forget [Machiavelli] |
| 19886 | The idea that absolute power improves mankind is confuted by history [Locke] |
| 19903 | Despotism is arbitrary power to kill, based neither on natural equality, nor any social contract [Locke] |
| 19905 | People stripped of their property are legitimately subject to despotism [Locke] |
| 19904 | Legitimate prisoners of war are subject to despotism, because that continues the state of war [Locke] |
| 19975 | Despots are always lazy and ignorant, so they always delegate their power to a vizier [Montesquieu] |
| 19977 | Despotism and honour are incompatible, because honour scorns his power, and lives by rules [Montesquieu] |
| 19988 | A despot's agents must be given power, so they inevitably become corrupt [Montesquieu] |
| 19989 | The will of a despot is an enigma, so magistrates can only follow their own will [Montesquieu] |
| 20007 | Tyranny is either real violence, or the imposition of unpopular legislation [Montesquieu] |
| 7227 | It is evil to give a government any more power than is necessary [Mill] |
| 22683 | Despots like to see their own regulations ignored, by themselves and their agents [Tocqueville] |
| 20229 | No authority ever willingly accepts criticism [Nietzsche] |
| 20941 | Totalitarian parties cut their members off from other cultural organisations [Gramsci] |
| 20579 | Modern totalitarianism results from lack of social ties or shared goals [Arendt, by Oksala] |
| 20580 | The ideal subject for dictators is not a fanatic, but someone who can't distinguish true from false [Arendt, by Oksala] |
| 7981 | Whole populations are terrorist threats to authorities, who unite against them [Baudrillard] |
| 20497 | How can dictators advance the interests of the people, if they don't consult them about interests? [Wolff,J] |
| 21001 | Famines tend to be caused by authoritarian rule [Sen] |