---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: War is not in itself a condition so much…"
description: "\"War is not in itself a condition so much as the symptom of a condition, that of international anarchy. If we wish to substitute for war the settlement ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_1972975.png"
---

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

![“War is not in itself a condition so much as the symptom of a condition, that of international anarchy. If we wish to substitute for war the settlement of disputes by justice, we must first substitute for the condition of international anarchy a condition of international order” quote by Alfred Hermann Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_1972975.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_1972975.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/168/alfred-hermann-fried-85467_anarchy_war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much_1972975.png)

> “War is not in itself a condition so much as the symptom of a condition, that of international anarchy. If we wish to substitute for war the settlement of disputes by justice, we must first substitute for the condition of international anarchy a condition of international order”

[Alfred Hermann Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 arises from lack of global order; peace requires establishing international governance.

**In simple terms:** War is a symptom of chaos; order prevents war.

Key Takeaway

Build institutions to replace chaos with law.

Themes

war peace order justice anarchy

Mood

serious hopeful

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- diplomacy
- UN formation
- peace negotiations
- conflict prevention

Key Concepts

political theory international law conflict resolution

Questions to Reflect On

- What structures can enforce global order?
- Can justice replace power struggles?

A Different Perspective

Achieving order is complex and may face resistance.

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[Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy/) [Anarchy Condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy-condition-2365846/) [Conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions/) [Disputes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disputes/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [International](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international/) [International Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/international-anarchy-2135661/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Settlement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settlement/) [Substitute War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substitute-war-902649/) [Substitutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substitutes/) [Symptoms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symptoms/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-condition-2952370/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hermann-fried/)

> [War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom of a condition - that of international anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a-2/)

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> [“War can condition a person to be resilient, tolerant, dependable, strong, and capable of so much more than one who had experienced nothing of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-norton/war-can-condition-a-person-to-be-resilient-tolerant-dependable-strong/)

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> [Those men that are so remissly governed that they dare take up arms to defend or introduce an opinion, are still in war, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/those-men-that-are-so-remissly-governed-that-they-dare-take-up-arms/)

[Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/)

> [The creative conquest of space will serve as a wonderful substitute for war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-creative-conquest-of-space-will-serve-as-a-wonderful-substitute/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [War must never be a condition but, rather, a temporary scourge which we suffer as a child does a fever, knowing that health follows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/war-must-never-be-a-condition-but-rather-a-temporary-scourge-which-we/)

[Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/)

> [I see this as the central issue of our time: how to find a substitute for war in human ingenuity, imagination, courage, sacrifice, patience...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/i-see-this-as-the-central-issue-of-our-time-how-to-find-a-substitute/)

[Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/)

> [The only thing for a pacifist to do is to find a substitute for war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-stark/the-only-thing-for-a-pacifist-to-do-is-to-find-a-substitute-for-war/)

[Freya Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-stark/)

> [The peace conference must not adjourn without the establishment of some ordered system of international government, backed by power enough to give authority to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-gildersleeve/the-peace-conference-must-not-adjourn-without-the-establishment-of/)

[Virginia Gildersleeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-gildersleeve/)

> [In almost every country there are elements of opinion which would welcome such a conclusion because they wish to return to the politics of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-henderson/in-almost-every-country-there-are-elements-of-opinion-which-would/)

[Arthur Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-henderson/)

> [Four years of world war, at a cost in human suffering which our minds are mercifully too limited to imagine, led to the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-henderson/four-years-of-world-war-at-a-cost-in-human-suffering-which-our-minds/)

[Arthur Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-henderson/)

> [GUNPOWDER, n. An agency employed by civilized nations for the settlement of disputes which might become troublesome if left unadjusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/gunpowder-n-an-agency-employed-by-civilized-nations-for-the/)

[Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/)

> [Realizing that we can not live unto ourselves alone, we have contributed of our resources and our counsel to the relief of the suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/realizing-that-we-can-not-live-unto-ourselves-alone-we-have/)

[Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/)

> [In view of the fact that in any future world war nuclear weapons will certainly be employed, and that such weapons threaten the continued…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-view-of-the-fact-that-in-any-future-world-war-nuclear-weapons-will/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hermann-fried/)

> [War is not, in itself, a condition so much as the symptom of a condition - that of international anarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hermann-fried/war-is-not-in-itself-a-condition-so-much-as-the-symptom-of-a-2/)

[Alfred Hermann Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hermann-fried/)

[Explore all 3 Alfred Hermann Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hermann-fried/)

## 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/)

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[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/)

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> [“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/)

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> [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/)

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