Final answer:
Madison's statement means that liberty is essential for the existence and growth of factions in political life. Trying to eliminate factions by abolishing liberty would be unwise, as liberty is as necessary to factions as air is to fire.
Step-by-step explanation:
James Madison's statement that 'Liberty is to faction what air is to fire' means that liberty is necessary for the existence and growth of factions.
Just as fire needs air to survive and spread, factions need liberty to exist and thrive in political life.
This analogy emphasizes the idea that factions, or groups of people with different opinions and interests, are a natural result of human diversity and liberty.
Madison argues that trying to eliminate factions by abolishing liberty would be as unwise as wishing for the annihilation of air, which is essential for animal life because it allows fire to burn.
Madison further discusses how a republican government can act as a check on the power of factions and prevent the tyranny of the majority.
He believes that the Constitution's checks and balances would protect liberty by ensuring justice, which he considers the purpose of government in civil society.