Partly because his life ended before the age of 50 Hamilton was defined by the other founding fathers and he managed with amazing consistency to alienate most of them.

Former President Bill Clinton who is widely regarded as a political mastermind may have sounded like a traditional liberal at the beginning of his term in office. But what ultimately defined his presidency was his amazing pliability on matters of principle.

However democracy cannot be defined as the existence of parliaments and elections alone.

I am very averse to bringing myself forward in print but as my account will only appear as an appendage to a former production and as it will be confined to such topics as have connection with my authorship alone I can hardly accuse myself of a personal intrusion.

A celibate like the fly in the heart of an apple dwells in a perpetual sweetness but sits alone and is confined and dies in singularity.

Our scientific age demands that we provide definitions measurements and statistics in order to be taken seriously. Yet most of the important things in life cannot be precisely defined or measured. Can we define or measure love beauty friendship or decency for example?