The Greatest Sentence Ever Written Quotes

“We hold these truths to be self-evident”
― Walter Isaacson, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

“Franklin correctly saw the danger of creating a meritocratic aristocracy. His proposals for what became the University of Pennsylvania were designed not to filter a new elite but to provide opportunities and enrichment for all young people to succeed as best they could, whatever their level of talent. He aimed at what he called "true merit," which he defined as "an inclination joined with an ability to serve mankind, one's country, friends, and family, which... should indeed be the great aim and end of all learning.”
― Walter Isaacson, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

“Franklin and Jefferson understood balance. They were part of an Enlightenment era that embraced the scientific method of testing and revising beliefs based on evidence. Both of them studied Isaac Newton, whose mechanics explained how contending forces could be brought into equilibrium. Their goal on contentious issues was not to triumph but to find the right balance, an art that has been lost today. Compromisers may not make great heroes, Franklin liked to say, but they do make great democracies.”
― Walter Isaacson, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written