--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Without the restraints of religion and…" description: "\"Without the restraints of religion and social worship, men become savages much sooner than savages become civilized by means of religion and civil gove..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/benjamin-rush-9439_civilized_without-the-restraints-of-religion-and-s_1893807.jpg" --- # Without the restraints of religion and social worship, men… ![“Without the restraints of religion and social worship, men become savages much sooner than savages become civilized by means of religion and civil government.” quote by Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/benjamin-rush-9439_civilized_without-the-restraints-of-religion-and-s_1893807.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/benjamin-rush-9439_civilized_without-the-restraints-of-religion-and-s_1893807.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b4/benjamin-rush-9439_civilized_without-the-restraints-of-religion-and-s_1893807.jpg) > “Without the restraints of religion and social worship, men become savages much sooner than savages become civilized by means of religion and civil government.” [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rush argues that without religious and social structures, humanity quickly reverts to savagery, suggesting religion and government civilize societies. **In simple terms:** Religion and government help keep society civilized. Key Takeaway Recognize the role of shared norms in order. Themes civilization morality religion government human nature Mood thoughtful critical serious Type philosophical political. When to use this quote - political debates - community building - education curricula Key Concepts social contract ethical frameworks cultural cohesion Questions to Reflect On - Can societies remain civilized without religion? - What alternatives to religion foster civility? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Piety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piety/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Restraint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/restraint/) [Savages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/savages/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Worship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worship/) ## Related quotes > [“What strikes me,” Sarah continued, “is that men are such savages—they don’t fold their clothes, they pee on the toilet seat, they barely wash—yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/what-strikes-me-sarah-continued-is-that-men-are-such-savages-they-don/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) > [“The Middle East was not a wilderness, and the people there were not savages: if anything they were over civilized. 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This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/history-i-believe-furnishes-no-example-of-a-priest-ridden-people/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The great problem of legislation is, so to organize the civil government of a community ... that in the operation of human institutions upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/the-great-problem-of-legislation-is-so-to-organize-the-civil/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [The civil Government, though bereft of every thing like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability, and performs its functions with complete success; whilst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-civil-government-though-bereft-of-every-thing-like-an-associated/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“Civil government and economics and society change because theology changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-c-morecraft-iii/civil-government-and-economics-and-society-change-because-theology/) [Joseph C. Morecraft III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-c-morecraft-iii/) > [God ordained and established civil government, but only to serve the common good. A civil government that oppresses its people and acts contrary to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-l-dreisbach/god-ordained-and-established-civil-government-but-only-to-serve-the/) [Daniel L Dreisbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-l-dreisbach/) ## More by Benjamin Rush > [While the business of education in Europe consists in lectures upon the ruins of Palmyra and the antiquities of Herculaneum , or in disputes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/while-the-business-of-education-in-europe-consists-in-lectures-upon/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [Freedom can exist only in the society of knowledge. Without learning, men are incapable of knowing their rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/freedom-can-exist-only-in-the-society-of-knowledge-without-learning/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [...This large and expensive stock of drugs will be unnecessary. 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I am a Christocrat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/i-have-alternately-been-called-an-aristocrat-and-a-democrat-i-am/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [ The business of education has lay\[ed\] the foundations for nurseries of wise and good men, to adapt our modes of teaching to the peculiar… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/the-business-of-education-has-lay-ed-the-foundations-for-nurseries-of/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [Let us show the world that a difference of opinion upon medical subjects is not incompatible with medical friendships; and in so doing, let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/let-us-show-the-world-that-a-difference-of-opinion-upon-medical/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/the-gates-of-hell-shall-not-prevail-against-it/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [It would seem from this fact, that man is naturally a wild animal, and that when taken from the woods, he is never happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/it-would-seem-from-this-fact-that-man-is-naturally-a-wild-animal-and/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [The only foundation for . . . a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/the-only-foundation-for-a-republic-is-to-be-laid-in-religion-without/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [If we were to remove the Bible from public schools we would be wasting so much time punishing crimes and taking so little pains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/if-we-were-to-remove-the-bible-from-public-schools-we-would-be/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [Let the children...be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/let-the-children-be-carefully-instructed-in-the-principles-and/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [I have always considered Christianity as the strong ground of republicanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/i-have-always-considered-christianity-as-the-strong-ground-of/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) > [A belief in God's universal love to all his creatures, and that he will finally restore all of them that are miserable to happiness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-rush/a-belief-in-god-s-universal-love-to-all-his-creatures-and-that-he/) [Benjamin Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) [Explore all 72 Benjamin Rush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-rush/) ## More Civilized quotes > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what custom hath civilized is become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/be-neither-too-early-in-the-fashion-nor-too-long-out-of-it-nor-too/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Civilized nations are ones that simply can't endure wrongs or injustice except at home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-anderson/civilized-nations-are-ones-that-simply-can-t-endure-wrongs-or/) Joseph Anderson > [Our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gropius/our-guiding-principle-was-that-design-is-neither-an-intellectual-nor/) [Walter Gropius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gropius/) > [War is not civilized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/war-is-not-civilized/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [For it is an absurdity to call a country civilized in which a decent and industrious man, laboriously mastering a trade which is valuble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/for-it-is-an-absurdity-to-call-a-country-civilized-in-which-a-decent/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [No people is wholly civilized where a distinction is drawn between stealing an office and stealing a purse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/no-people-is-wholly-civilized-where-a-distinction-is-drawn-between/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Mine was, as it were, the connecting link between wild and cultivated fields; as some states are civilized, and others half-civilized, and others savage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/mine-was-as-it-were-the-connecting-link-between-wild-and-cultivated/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The military mind is indeed a menace. 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When the Earth joins together and uses the Earth intelligently, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/as-long-as-there-are-prisons-police-armies-navies-we-are-not/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [We're all intrigued, in our civilized world that we live in, and curious about how we would get on, on an undiscovered island that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/we-re-all-intrigued-in-our-civilized-world-that-we-live-in-and/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [When passions and appetites are stronger than the intellect, men are savages; when the intellect governs the passions, when the passions are servants, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/when-passions-and-appetites-are-stronger-than-the-intellect-men-are/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. 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