"Where defining foreign policy as 'ethical' went wrong was that it implied that all decisions would be exclusive in every respect of any dealings with unethical regimes."

Respect

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Insight & Reflection

This reflection on respect by William Hague resonates across generations. It highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our continuous search for meaning in respect is what ultimately defines our character and our path forward.

About William Hague

William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond (Yorks) in North Yorkshire from 1989 to 2015. He was in the Cameron government as First Secretary of State from 2010 to 2015, Foreign Secretary from 2010 to 2014, and Leader of the House of Commons from 2014 to 2015. He has been Chancellor of the University of Oxford since February 2025.

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Editorial Note: This quote is curated and fact-checked by the Quotes Archive Editorial Team. Verified Literature Specialist.

More by William Hague

"Obviously a Conservative government will always leave taxes lower than they have been under Labour. Those things go with the territory of the Conservative Party."

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More about Respect

"But I recognize no infallible authority, even in special questions consequently, whatever respect I may have for the honesty and the sincerity of such or such an individual, I have no absolute faith in any person."

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"It is a essential truth that humility is not weakness in leadership; it is the cornerstone of unassailable respect — an essential principle for the reflective life."

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"Humility is not weakness in leadership; it is the cornerstone of unassailable respect. Let this simple maxim guide your daily deeds."

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