---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is not, in itself, a condition so…"
description: "\"War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom of a condition - that of international anarchy.\" — Alfred Hermann Fried"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_3011679.png"
---

#  War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom…

![“War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom of a condition - that of international anarchy.” quote by Alfred Hermann Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_3011679.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_3011679.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_3011679.png)

> “War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom of a condition - that of international anarchy.”

Alfred Hermann Fried

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

War is a symptom of deeper disorder, not a natural state

**In simple terms:** War signals underlying chaos

Key Takeaway

Address root causes, not just conflict

Themes

peace politics conflict

Mood

analytical concerned

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- diplomacy
- conflict resolution
- policy making
- education

Key Concepts

anarchy systemic instability

Questions to Reflect On

- What systemic issues fuel conflict?
- How can societies prevent the symptom of war?

A Different Perspective

Peace efforts can be undermined by ignoring systemic issues

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Symptom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symptom/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [War is not in itself a condition so much as the symptom of a condition, that of international anarchy. If we wish to substitute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a/)

Alfred Hermann Fried

> [If we wish to substitute for war the settlement of disputes by justice, we must first substitute for the condition of international anarchy a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/if-we-wish-to-substitute-for-war-the-settlement-of-disputes-by/)

Alfred Hermann Fried

> [Do not mistake a child for his symptom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-erikson/do-not-mistake-a-child-for-his-symptom/)

[Erik Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-erikson/)

> [Behavior is a symptom. If you look at it like a problem, you're just going to make a judgment. If you look at like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-schlessinger/behavior-is-a-symptom-if-you-look-at-it-like-a-problem-you-re-just/)

[Laura Schlessinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-schlessinger/)

> [Middle age is when anything new in the way you feel is most likely a symptom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/middle-age-is-when-anything-new-in-the-way-you-feel-is-most-likely-a/)

[Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/)

> [Many people nowadays who discover that they have a major symptom, whether psychological or physical, begin to study it. They get drawn very deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hillman/many-people-nowadays-who-discover-that-they-have-a-major-symptom/)

[James Hillman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hillman/)

> [Here's how I see obesity: as a symptom. The larger problem is over-consumption. In a society that identifies consumption with patriotism, valorizes 'growth' above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-levine/here-s-how-i-see-obesity-as-a-symptom-the-larger-problem-is-over/)

[Emily Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-levine/)

> [I believe that writer's block is a symptom. It's not a disease, it's the symptom of a disease. So what I try to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/i-believe-that-writer-s-block-is-a-symptom-it-s-not-a-disease-it-s/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [A cough is a symptom, not a disease. Take it to your doctor and he can give you something serious to worry about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morley/a-cough-is-a-symptom-not-a-disease-take-it-to-your-doctor-and-he-can/)

[Robert Morley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morley/)

> [Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/emptiness-is-a-symptom-that-you-are-not-living-creatively/)

[Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/)

> [Microsoft is not the problem. Microsoft is the symptom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/microsoft-is-not-the-problem-microsoft-is-the-symptom/)

[Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/)

> [Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have not goal that is important enough to you, or you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxwell-maltz/emptiness-is-a-symptom-that-you-are-not-living-creatively-you-either/)

[Maxwell Maltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxwell-maltz/)

> [Amor deliria nervosa: It affects your mind so that you cannot think clearly, or make rational decisions about your own well-being. Symptom number twelve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/amor-deliria-nervosa-it-affects-your-mind-so-that-you-cannot-think/)

[Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/)

> [The symptom of love is when some of the chemicals inside you go bad. So there must be something in love because your chemicals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-warhol/the-symptom-of-love-is-when-some-of-the-chemicals-inside-you-go-bad/)

[Andy Warhol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-warhol/)

> [The goal is to reduce the size and scope of government spending, not to focus on the deficit. The deficit is the symptom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/the-goal-is-to-reduce-the-size-and-scope-of-government-spending-not/)

[Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/)

## More by Alfred Hermann Fried

> [If we wish to substitute for war the settlement of disputes by justice, we must first substitute for the condition of international anarchy a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/if-we-wish-to-substitute-for-war-the-settlement-of-disputes-by/)

Alfred Hermann Fried

> [War is not in itself a condition so much as the symptom of a condition, that of international anarchy. If we wish to substitute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a/)

Alfred Hermann Fried

Explore all 3 Alfred Hermann Fried quotes

## More Anarchy quotes

> [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/)

[Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/)

> [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/)

[Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/)

> [The law is the collective organization of the individual's right to lawful defense of his life, liberty and property. When it is used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/the-law-is-the-collective-organization-of-the-individual-s-right-to/)

[Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/)

> [So far I'm still standing on 'Sons of Anarchy' but all the rest of the people on the show have me in their crosshairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-pileggi/so-far-i-m-still-standing-on-sons-of-anarchy-but-all-the-rest-of-the/)

Mitch Pileggi

> [“Anarchy Evolution: Faith, Science and Bad Religion in a World Without God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-graffin/anarchy-evolution-faith-science-and-bad-religion-in-a-world-without/)

[Greg Graffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-graffin/)

> [Perhaps it is this theory of all work and no play that has made the Marxist such a very dull boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/perhaps-it-is-this-theory-of-all-work-and-no-play-that-has-made-the/)

[Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/)

> [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [In morals as in politics anarchy is not for the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mccarthy/in-morals-as-in-politics-anarchy-is-not-for-the-weak/)

[Mary McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mccarthy/)

> [I think that if you run a big company, you've got to, four or five times a year, just say, 'Hey team, look, here's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-that-if-you-run-a-big-company-you-ve-got-to-four-or-five/)

[Jeffrey R. Immelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-immelt/)

> [Where you have no religion, you are sure to have no government, for as religion disappears, anarchy takes place and fixes a compleat Hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-morgan/where-you-have-no-religion-you-are-sure-to-have-no-government-for-as/)

[Daniel Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-morgan/)

> [What a comfort it is to feel that amid the chaos and anarchy which sweep the surface, God is holding fast the foundations on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-b-meyer/what-a-comfort-it-is-to-feel-that-amid-the-chaos-and-anarchy-which/)

[F.B. Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-b-meyer/)

> [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [Would you like to do something good for the future of the human race; well, start killing some of its powerful members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/would-you-like-to-do-something-good-for-the-future-of-the-human-race/)

[William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/)

> [“twenty-three years of RFRAs to produce anarchy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corvino/twenty-three-years-of-rfras-to-produce-anarchy/)

[John Corvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corvino/)

> [Freedom is that faculty that enlarges the usefulness of all other faculties.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/freedom-is-that-faculty-that-enlarges-the-usefulness-of-all-other/)

[Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/)

[Browse all 795 Anarchy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom of a condition - that of international anarchy.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alfred Hermann Fried"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Anarchy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_3011679.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_3011679.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/98b/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_3011679.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom of a condition - that of international anarchy.” — Alfred Hermann Fried",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alfred Hermann Fried",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hermann-fried/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "War is not, in itself, a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a-2/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
