ABSTRACT
Current political thought is profoundly-vitiated by this mistaking of means for ends, and by this pursuit of the means to the neglect of the ends. Hence, among others, the illusions which prevail concerning “political rights.” Those shares of political power which in the more advanced nations citizens have come to possess, and which experience has shown to be good guaranties for the maintenance of life, liberty, and property, are spoken of as though the claims to them were of the same nature as the claims to life, liberty, and property themselves. Though the political rights may be used for the maintenance of liberties, they may fail to be so used, and may even be used for the establishment of tyrannies.
