When the state murders, it assumes an authority I refuse to concede: the authority of perfect knowledge in final things." - Meaning and context.">
"Perfect Knowledge in Final Things" (p. 110)
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When the state murders, it assumes an authority I refuse to concede: the authority of perfect knowledge in final things.

— John Leonard (critic)

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "When the state murders, it assumes an authority I refuse to concede: the authority of perfect knowledge in final things." in the context of ""Perfect Knowledge in Final Things" (p. 110)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "John Leonard (critic)" (Quotes, Private Lives in the Imperial City (1979): Knopf, 1979, ) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
John Leonard (critic)

About John Leonard (critic)

John Leonard (February 25 1939 – November 5 2008) was an American literary, TV, film and cultural critic.