--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The King! I thought him enough of a…" description: "\"“The King! I thought him enough of a philosopher to realize that there is no such thing as murder in politics. You know as well as I do, my dear boy, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/alexandre-dumas-436_philosophy_the-king-i-thought-him-enough-of-a-philo_1213893.jpg" --- # The King! I thought him enough of a philosopher to realize… ![“The King! I thought him enough of a philosopher to realize that there is no such thing as murder in politics. You know as well as I do, my dear boy, that in politics there are no people, only ideas; no feelings, only interests. In politics, you don't kill a man, you remove an obstacle, that's all.” quote by Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/alexandre-dumas-436_philosophy_the-king-i-thought-him-enough-of-a-philo_1213893.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/alexandre-dumas-436_philosophy_the-king-i-thought-him-enough-of-a-philo_1213893.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ddd/alexandre-dumas-436_philosophy_the-king-i-thought-him-enough-of-a-philo_1213893.jpg) > ““The King! I thought him enough of a philosopher to realize that there is no such thing as murder in politics. You know as well as I do, my dear boy, that in politics there are no people, only ideas; no feelings, only interests. In politics, you don't kill a man, you remove an obstacle, that's all.”” [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politics is portrayed as a realm of ideas and interests, where eliminating opponents is framed as removing obstacles rather than killing. **In simple terms:** Politics is about ideas, not people. Key Takeaway Recognize the dehumanizing view of political conflict. Themes politics ethics power strategy Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political analysis - philosophical debate - historical context Key Concepts dehumanization instrumentalism conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - Is it ever justified to treat people as obstacles? - How does this mindset affect policy decisions? A Different Perspective The view ignores moral costs and the value of human life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“surely you’re enough of an armchair philosopher to realize that everything is a reconstruction of something else? Reality is a desperate and evasive creature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/surely-you-re-enough-of-an-armchair-philosopher-to-realize-that/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“The king! I thought he was philosopher enough to allow that there was no murder in politics. 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