--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There never was a good war,\" said…" description: "\"There never was a good war,\" said Franklin. \"There have indeed been many wars in which a good man must take part, and take part with grave gladness to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/charles-eliot-norton-46537_antiwar_there-never-was-a-good-war-said-franklin_1683434.png" --- # There never was a good war," said Franklin. "There have… ![“There never was a good war," said Franklin. "There have indeed been many wars in which a good man must take part, and take part with grave gladness to die if need be, a willing sacrifice, thankful to give life for what is dearer than life, and happy that even by death in war he is serving the…” quote by Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/charles-eliot-norton-46537_antiwar_there-never-was-a-good-war-said-franklin_1683434.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/charles-eliot-norton-46537_antiwar_there-never-was-a-good-war-said-franklin_1683434.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a80/charles-eliot-norton-46537_antiwar_there-never-was-a-good-war-said-franklin_1683434.png) > “There never was a good war," said Franklin. "There have indeed been many wars in which a good man must take part, and take part with grave gladness to die if need be, a willing sacrifice, thankful to give life for what is dearer than life, and happy that even by death in war he is serving the cause of peace. But if a war be undertaken for the most righteous end, before the resources of peace have been tried and proved vain to secure it, that war has no defense, it is a national crime.” [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War fought without exhausting peaceful alternatives is unjust and criminal, even if intended for noble goals. **In simple terms:** War without peace attempts is a crime. Key Takeaway Seek peace before war. Themes ethics war peace justice Mood somber reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - political decision making - international relations - military planning - conflict resolution Key Concepts just war theory moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What peaceful options were ignored? - How do we define a “righteous” war? A Different Perspective War may be seen as necessary by some, ignoring non‑violent alternatives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Antiwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Gladness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gladness/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Good war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-war/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Righteous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteous/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wars/) ## Related quotes > [There never was a good war or a bad revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/there-never-was-a-good-war-or-a-bad-revolution/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones. 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Sometimes you've got to think about the greater good! This is war!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/because-sometimes-you-ve-got-to-think-about-more-than-your-own-safety/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [People say the war in Iraq is a bad war, and the war in Afghanistan is a good war, but what's the difference between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malalai-joya/people-say-the-war-in-iraq-is-a-bad-war-and-the-war-in-afghanistan-is/) [Malalai Joya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malalai-joya/) ## More by Charles Eliot Norton > [The United States has lost her unique position as a leader in the progress of civilization and has taken up her place simply as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eliot-norton/the-united-states-has-lost-her-unique-position-as-a-leader-in-the/) [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) > [It does not seem to me that the evidence concerning the being of a God, and concerning immortality, is such as to enable us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eliot-norton/it-does-not-seem-to-me-that-the-evidence-concerning-the-being-of-a/) [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) > [The refuge from pessimism is the good men and women at any time existing in the world, -they keep faith and happiness alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eliot-norton/the-refuge-from-pessimism-is-the-good-men-and-women-at-any-time/) [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) > [One may sigh for all that one loses in giving up the old religion... but the new irreligion is the manlier, honester and simpler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eliot-norton/one-may-sigh-for-all-that-one-loses-in-giving-up-the-old-religion-but/) [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) > [The voice of protest, of warning, of appeal is never more needed than when the clamor of fife and drum, echoed by the press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eliot-norton/the-voice-of-protest-of-warning-of-appeal-is-never-more-needed-than/) [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) > [The loss of religious faith among the most civilized portion of the race is a step from childishness toward maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eliot-norton/the-loss-of-religious-faith-among-the-most-civilized-portion-of-the/) [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) > [If a war be undertaken...before the resources of peace have been tried and proved vain to secure it, that war has no defense, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-eliot-norton/if-a-war-be-undertaken-before-the-resources-of-peace-have-been-tried/) [Charles Eliot Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) [Explore all 8 Charles Eliot Norton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-eliot-norton/) ## More Antiwar quotes > [In the struggle of good against evil, it's always the people who get killed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-galeano/in-the-struggle-of-good-against-evil-it-s-always-the-people-who-get/) [Eduardo Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-galeano/) > [“... it would be better for our country and the world in general, if at least the few people who were capable of thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/it-would-be-better-for-our-country-and-the-world-in-general-if-at/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [My first wish is to see this plague of mankind banished from the earth, and the sons and daughters of this world employed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-first-wish-is-to-see-this-plague-of-mankind-banished-from-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [The practice of violence, like all action, changes the world, but the most probable change is a more violent world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/the-practice-of-violence-like-all-action-changes-the-world-but-the/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [One reason the United States finds itself at the edge of a foreign policy disaster is its underinformed citizenry, a key weakness in democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-halper/one-reason-the-united-states-finds-itself-at-the-edge-of-a-foreign/) Stefan Halper > [The worst evils which mankind has ever had to endure were inflicted by bad governments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-worst-evils-which-mankind-has-ever-had-to-endure-were-inflicted/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [You cannot be on one hand dedicated to peace and on the other dedicated to violence. Those two things are irreconcilable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/you-cannot-be-on-one-hand-dedicated-to-peace-and-on-the-other/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Free nations don't develop weapons of mass destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/free-nations-don-t-develop-weapons-of-mass-destruction/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [...Uncalled-for aggression arouses the hatred of the civilian population...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/uncalled-for-aggression-arouses-the-hatred-of-the-civilian-population/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [Studies by Medical Corps psychiatrists of combat fatigue cases... found that fear of killing, rather than fear of being killed, was the most common…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-lyman-atwood-marshall/studies-by-medical-corps-psychiatrists-of-combat-fatigue-cases-found/) [Samuel Lyman Atwood Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-lyman-atwood-marshall/) > [I believe that the entire effort of modern society should be concentrated on the endeavor to outlaw war as a method of the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-believe-that-the-entire-effort-of-modern-society-should-be/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [In war, as it is waged now, with the enormous losses on both sides, both sides will lose. 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