Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.
John RuskinRead
Punishment is the last and the least effective instrument in the hands of the legislator for the prevention of crime.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Punishment alone is ineffective for preventing crime; it should not be a legislator's primary tool.
John Ruskin's quote emphasizes that relying solely on punishment as a means to deter crime is not only ineffective but also a last resort. Instead, it advocates for more constructive and proactive approaches to addressing the root causes of criminal behavior, suggesting that understanding and reform may lead to a more just society.
Themes
PunishmentCrimeLegislationPreventionJustice
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about criminal justice reform, one could reference this quote to argue for more rehabilitative measures.
More from John Ruskin
All quotes →In health of mind and body, men should see with their own eyes, hear and speak without trumpets, walk on their feet, not on wheels, and work and war with their arms, not with engine-beams, nor rifles warranted to kill twenty men at a shot before you can see them.
John RuskinRead
You talk of the scythe of Time, and the tooth of Time: I tell you, Time is scytheless and toothless; it is we who gnaw like the worm - we who smite like the scythe. It is ourselves who abolish - ourselves who consume: we are the mildew, and the flame.
John RuskinRead
To be able to ask a question clearly is two-thirds of the way to getting it answered.
John RuskinRead
See that your children be taught, not only the labors of the earth, but the loveliness of it.
John RuskinRead
A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.
John RuskinRead
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