The statement, ‘we can not shed our values in the way we remove our coats’, is attributed to the influential political scientist David Easton.
David Easton, known for his significant contributions to political science, particularly his systems approach, emphasized the centrality of values in the study of politics. He argued that political systems are fundamentally about the authoritative allocation of values for a society.
Easton believed that values are deeply intertwined with political life and cannot be easily discarded or separated from the political process, much like one cannot simply remove their values as easily as they remove their coat. This quote highlights the enduring nature of values in shaping political actions and understanding.