The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green.
Thomas CarlyleRead
War is a quarrel between two thieves too cowardly to fight their own battle; therefore they take boys from one village and another village, stick them into uniforms, equip them with guns, and let them loose like wild beasts against one other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
War often arises from the cowardice of leaders who exploit the innocence of the young for their battles.
In this profound quote, Thomas Carlyle critiques the nature of war, suggesting that it stems from the selfishness and cowardice of those in power. Instead of confronting their own conflicts directly, they manipulate the vulnerable, particularly young soldiers, turning them into instruments of violence. This perspective reflects a deep philosophical commentary on the morality of leadership and the tragic consequences of warfare on society.
Themes
WarCowardiceYouthConflictViolence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the consequences of conflict, one could reference this quote to emphasize the tragedy of using young men as instruments of war.
More from Thomas Carlyle
All quotes →Thirty millions, mostly fools.
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There is a great discovery still to be made in literature, that of paying literary men by the quantity they do not write.
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For the superior morality, of which we hear so much, we too would desire to be thankful: at the same time, it were but blindness to deny that this superior morality is properly rather an inferior criminality, produced not by greater love of Virtue, but by greater perfection of Police; and of that far subtler and stronger Police, called Public Opinion.
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Enjoying things which are pleasant; that is not the evil; it is the reducing of our moral self to slavery by them that is.
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Clean undeniable right, clear undeniable might: either of these once ascertained puts an end to battle. All battle is a confused experiment to ascertain one and both of these.
Thomas CarlyleRead
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