There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
T. S. EliotRead
When war is not just it is subsequently justified; so it becomes many things. In reality, an unjust war is merely piracy. It consists of piracy, ego and, more than anything, money. War is our century's prostitution.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the moral justifications for war, equating unjust wars to acts of piracy motivated by greed.
T. S. Eliot expresses a deep skepticism about the nature of war, suggesting that when conflicts are framed as justified, they mask deeper motivations such as greed and ego. By comparing war to piracy and prostitution, Eliot highlights the exploitation and moral degradation inherent in unjust wars, emphasizing that these conflicts often serve the interests of a few rather than any noble cause.
Themes
WarInjusticeGreedPiracyMorality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the consequences of conflicts, one might quote this to emphasize the moral complexities of war.
More from T. S. Eliot
All quotes →Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them.
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I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
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If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
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For I have known them all already, known them all— Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
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In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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