I have never known any distress that an hour's reading did not relieve.
Baron De MontesquieuRead
As soon as man enters into a state of society he loses the sense of his weakness; equality ceases, and then commences the state of war.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that social structures create inequalities that lead to conflict among individuals.
Baron De Montesquieu's quote reflects on the nature of human society, proposing that when individuals join together in social groups, they tend to lose awareness of their vulnerabilities. This transformation fosters a sense of equality that is often superficial, leading to competition and conflict, thereby igniting a 'state of war' among people as they struggle for dominance and security.
Themes
SocietyEqualityConflictWarPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on social justice, one could use this quote to highlight the inherent inequalities present in societal structures.
More from Baron De Montesquieu
All quotes βLaw in general is human reason, inasmuch as it governs all the inhabitants of the earth: the political and civil laws of each nation ought to be only the particular cases in which human reason is applied.
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To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.
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Love of the republic in a democracy, is a love of the democracy; love of the democracy is that of equality. Love of the democracy is likewise that of frugality.
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It is not the young people that degenerate; they are not spoiled till those of mature age are already sunk into corruption.
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If you would be holy, instruct your children, because all the good acts they perform will be imputed to you.
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