Baseness Quote by Albert Pike
“A war for a great principle ennobles a nation. A war for commercial supremacy, upon some shallow pretext, is despicable, and more than aught else demonstrates to what immeasurable depths of baseness men and nations can descend.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: [Unknown Context] by Albert Pike, 19th century
Principled wars elevate a nation’s moral standing, while wars for profit reveal deep moral corruption.
In simple terms: Principle‑driven war is noble; profit‑driven war is vile.
Key Takeaway
Seek just causes.
Themes
war
ethics
nationalism
morality
politics
Mood
serious
inquisitive
reflective
Type
philosophical
political
historical
When to use this quote
- military leadership
- policy debate
- public discourse
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
just war theory
moral philosophy
national identity
Questions to Reflect On
- What defines a 'great principle'?
- Can a war be both principled and self‑serving?
A Different Perspective
Moral judgments can be subjective and used to justify aggression.
![“There is no more evil thing in this world than race prejudice, none at all. [...] It justifies and holds together more baseness, cruelty, and abomination than any other sort of error in the world.” quote by H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fc7/h-g-wells-1122_abomination_there-is-no-more-evil-thing-in-this-worl_478066.jpg)
