arms Quotes

Both rulers who are few (oligarchs) and oppressive rulers (tyrants) distrust the people, so they take away their weapons.

In a polity, each citizen is to possess his own arms, which are not supplied or owned by the state.

For those who possess and can wield arms are in a position to decide whether the constitution is to continue or not

Those who have the command of the arms in a country are masters of the state, and have it in their power to make what revolutions they please. [Thus,] there is no end to observations on the difference between the... ...

Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms.

Only an armed people can be truly free. Only an unarmed people can ever be enslaved.